The Dark Knight
by Packerfan95
Summary: Nine years ago, Lucas faced a tragic event that has effected his past, wondering if it'll be averted. But a new wave of crime sweeps into the streets of Ninjago City, relying on the Ninja's help if possible. Seeing them as sitting ducks and not waiting for their answer, the elemental Master of Water decides to take matter into his own hands. As what though? A loner? Or vigilante?
1. Tragic Past

**Hey everyone, I'm back and have a brand new story to my list. In the past I've done Cole, Kai, Jay, Zane, and Nya as heroes of their own adventures. But this time, it's something new. It involves my OC, Lucas Wu. Without further a due, enjoy the newest adventure of my hero series. Feels great to be back after a long break.**

* * *

 **Prologue: Tragic Past**

The metal floors rattled softly as the subway train accelerated along the electrical tracks. The cars, connected by linked chains, swayed and rocked as the train turned or climbed the inclined tracks. Fluorescent lights hummed and flickered whenever the cars rocked. Outside, the train whined quietly down the tracks above the streets of the largest city in the land.

Ninjago City.

Hazel grey eyes were wide with awe and curiosity as they stared out the large window of the train car. A large smile grew on the boy's face as the train passed a skyscraper, lifting his head as high as he could to see the peak of the building, but it disappeared from view. His eyes soon drifted back down towards the traffic of cars and pedestrians. He giggled quietly, imagining all of them as ants from his spot. A large opening caught the boy's attention and he gazed at the sunset on the horizon, the sky turning to layers of warm colors.

Everything was so stunning. He took a deep breath, he couldn't believe it. "So my grandfather did all of this?" he asked, amazed. He turned to face his parents. "Made this?"

A warm smile grew on the boy's father's face as he stared out the window with his son. His wife grabbed his hand while she joined the two at the window. He gave her a gently pat. "Ninjago has been kind and grateful to our family for many years since my father, your grandfather, created it, Lucas," he said. "Without him there would have been nothing, not even this beautiful sunset."

The boy, Lucas, turned back to the window and smiled widely. He had seen many sunsets before back at his home, a monastery dojo, but this was his first time in the city and everything around him continued to amaze him. "However," his father continued, "the city couldn't be created by himself. He had help to make this city thrive with life."

Puzzled, Lucas raised a brow as he turned back to his father, a middle aged man with flecks of blond hair that were fading to grey with a grey beard forming around his chin. Next to his father was his mother, a woman with curly brown hair and stunning hazel eyes. "Huh?" he asked, confused. "What do you mean he had help?"

"Look at the building that's across the city, Lucas." His mother pointed in the right direction. The boy's eyes darted to where she was pointing and saw a tall skyscraper, taller than most in the city. "That is Ninjago City Tower," she said. "It's the building and company that helped make this city, where your grandfather got help. From my father, your other grandfather."

"And that is how I met your mother," Wu added, kissing his wife.

A small look of disgust crossed the boy's face and he giggled quietly to himself. He knew his parents loved each other. He turned back to the window and watched the Ninjago City Tower, pondering. "So, if my grandfathers created that place, does that mean you guys work there?" he wondered.

A look of amusement crossed his father's face as he laughed. "No, we don't," he replied. "We're not the type of people that would run such a large company. Our fathers understood that. We leave it to the professionals, but you are the heir of the company. You can chose it you wish to run it, unless you'd rather learn Spinjitzu."

His eyes went wide at the mention of him running a company and he stared back at the building. A building where his mother had told him anything was possible. But he was nine; it would be impossible to run it. "I'd rather learn Spinjitzu, Dad," he smiled.

A smile grew on Wu's face. "Excellent," he said.

"Are you excited for tonight, Lucas?" Stella asked. She pulled her son closer to straighten his messy brown hair and fix his suit jacket. "We know you don't go outside often, other than when we go shopping to Jamanakai Village. So we hope you're having fun being in the city, ready for the show we're going to see tonight." She smiled softly, "but those eyes of yours already tell me that you're having fun outside of the walls."

Lucas nodded with a grin that spread from ear to ear. Living in a monastery dojo in the mountains didn't allow him to set foot outside of the walls very often. The only few times were when he went on picnics with his parents or to shop in the nearby village with his mother. This was so different. He was in a new place, excited for everything tonight. A trip to the city and an opera show.

* * *

The orchestrated music grew deep and low with the string quartet humming loudly. The stage lights went dark as figures in dark clothing with glowing red eyes appeared in large groups. The lights slowly dimmed, revealing the stage's background: a rocky cavern. All of the figures remained in the dark as mysterious music grew in tempo.

Lucas watched with curiosity and amusement. What amazed him was the story. It was about a man in ancient Ninjago seeking redemption and honor for his name on a quest with a fellowship. He needed to overcome obstacles and fight dark forces in order to save his family. Lucas enjoyed stories like that, like the ones his father always told him before bed. Even the music was soothing to him, like when he played his wooden flute while his mother danced. Sighing, he leaned back into his red, velvet seat and tried to enjoy the show, but the longer he watched the scene, the more he began to feel something crawling on his chest.

The orchestra music swelled as the opera singers joined in a chorus. Lucas's eyes stared blankly at the figures moving on the stage, his heart racing. One of the figures climbed a rope that hung above the stage and start climbing it upside-down; almost like a spider would. The lights went dark as the figure's red eyes shone brightly on the stage, making the boy stiffen up. Images of his fear flashed before his eyes. Spiders, a phobia he'd had for years. His heart beat against his ribs and he started to hyperventilate. "C-can we go!?" he whispered quietly to his father. "Pl-please?"

Wu turned toward's his son's whimper, concerned. He could see the fear in his hazel grey eyes, the quick and shallow breaths. He nodded. "Yeah." Stella turned her head and locked eyes with her husband as he directed her to their son's state. "Let's step out," he said, standing from his seat and shimmying down the row with his family in tow.

Lucas felt some relief as he and his family walked down the aisle and slipped out of the auditorium. He could feel his breathing slowly returning to normal and his heart relaxing, but as they exited the building he couldn't help feeling guilty. His parents had been enjoying the evening and he was ruining their time. They'd spent a lot of money, at least he thought they did, on the tickets and now they had to leave because of him.

"I don't understand why we needed to leave the theater," Stella wondered as they entered an alley. "We could've stayed in the lobby."

"I figured Lucas just needed some air to help calm his nerves," Wu replied as he watched his son walk in front of them. Lucas kept his head low and he stared at the playbill pamphlet, not wanting to comment on his behavior in the middle of the show. His father stared at him sympathetically, trying to tell him that it wasn't his fault. "Something just spooked him and I wanted him to get some fresh air. It's not his fault."

Lucas felt his breath catch as he glanced over his shoulder and saw his father smiling. He turned away to hide his light blush. Lucas always wondered if his father could read his mind. He finally calmed down and studied his surroundings: the alley. A chill ran down his spine. Garbage and broken pieces of wood and glass lined the brick walls. Orange lights hung above them, flickering. Lucas tried to take more deep breaths, trying to calm himself, and stepped back to walk between his parents.

As the family strolled down the alley, they heard the sound of glass breaking. On high alert, they stopped as someone stood in front of them. The individual wore baggy clothing with a hood obstructing his face. Lucas's parents pulled him farther behind them. The figure held up a gun and aimed it straight at them, his hand shaking nervously. "Ju-just give me money and no one will get hurt," the man muttered quietly. His hand shook so much he almost lost the grip on his weapon.

Instinctively, Stella pulled her son to her side while Wu motioned for them to step back. Lucas felt his heart pounding as he stared at the gun. It wasn't a prop like he would see on T.V. It was a real gun. "Now, now, let's not do anything rash," Wu said to calm the man. "I know you're scared and we don't want to hurt each other. Just put the gun away." The nervous man kept the gun up while Wu reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. Lucas watched in fear as his father slowly walked towards the man. "See? We don't want any trouble," Wu continued, placing his wallet down on the ground in front of the man and stepping back.

Still shaking, the man kept the gun aimed on the family as he slowly grabbed the wallet and stepped away. The sound of glass breaking caused the man's muscles to tighten and he felt his finger squeeze the gun's trigger. The gun firing rang in the man's ears as he watched the older man fall to the ground.

A scream tore through Stella's throat as Lucas called out to his father who laid on the ground. The robber stared at Wu with wide eyes before shifting to the woman and boy, his hands shaking more. With fear in his heart, he fired the gun again at the woman before he turned and ran.

Lucas was all alone.

Fear clung to Lucas as tears pricked his eyes and he stood frozen. His parents laid in front of him, his father made a movement, but his mother remained still. He couldn't utter a sound. Police sirens filled the silent alley and Lucas was relieved to know that help was coming. "Lucas. . ." he heard his father call to him. Quickly, the boy rushed to his father's side. "It's going to be all right. Everything is going to be fine. Have faith, my son." Lucas stared into his grey eyes and nodded before turning to look at his mother.

* * *

Time seemed to last forever as Lucas stared at his feet. After the mugging, Lucas and his parents were transported to the nearest hospital for treatment. Lucas was the only one unscathed from the terrifying event and he hadn't heard anything about his parents. He was worried and wished he could see them. He sighed quietly as continued to keep his head down.

The door to the waiting room opened and Lucas lifted his head to see who it was. The man that entered was not the doctor that had placed him in the room. He looked more like a police officer with salt and pepper hair and a mustache that contrasted against his navy blue uniform. The man stared at the small boy with a solemn look on his face and calmly walked over to him with a coat in his arm. "Hey, kiddo," he greeted Lucas and knelt down next to him. "My name is Jim Gordon and I want to help you. Are you cold or anything?"

Lucas didn't respond. Gordon sighed and calmly threw the coat over Lucas's shoulders to try and comfort him. "Don't worry," he continued. "We're going to do everything we can to find him, okay? We'll make sure he'll be put away for a long time." Lucas didn't respond. Gordon sighed again. "Now I've got some news about your parents. Your father is going to be all right, but. . ." He drew in a deep breath as he saw the boy's intense gaze. "But your mother. . . I'm-I'm sorry."

His hazel grey eyes went as wide as they could and the familiar sting of tears came, his lip quivered. Immediately, Lucas bounced from his seat and rushed out of the waiting room, down the halls of the hospital. Gordon chased after him, telling him to come back, but Lucas ignored him. He kept looking at the different doors, trying to find his parents in the crowded emergency room. A doctor left a room near him and Lucas stopped the door from closing and peeked in to see his father. Wu had his left arm in a sling and a walking stick in his right hand, tears falling down his cheeks. Lucas was relieved to see his father, but he couldn't see his mother. "Lucas. . . I'm sorry," Wu grieved quietly.

Tears continued to build up in Lucas's eyes, but they didn't fall as he turned his head towards the white curtain that separated him from his mother. He heard Gordon enter behind him, and shrugged his comforting hand off of his shoulder. Taking a deep breath, he pulled the curtain away. His eyes shook with fear and sorrow as his mother lay still on the bed in front of him. There weren't any wires or IV tubes connected to her. Her chest wasn't rising or falling. Lucas's lip quivered and he choked on his tears.

He finally stepped forward and laid his hands over hers, feeling a shiver travel down his spine. Her skin was ice cold. Sniffling, the boy crawled onto the bed and settled down next to his mother like he always did when she was. . . alive. The tears finally freed themselves after being pent up for so long. Wu, watching it all, turned his head away and pitied his son. The tears continued to flow from the boy's eyes until they became blurry and he heard thunder outside.

Unbeknownst to Lucas was the fact that his eyes had changed. The once hazel grey orbs had turned milky white as he continued to cry over his mother, rain pouring down outside. So many thoughts ran through his head. What were he and his father going to do? Would the person who killed his mother ever be caught? How would he be able to cope with the loss of his mother? Nothing mattered in that moment though as he cried into the night and wished for his mother to come back.

This was the boy's worst day in Ninjago City.


	2. No Loose Ends

**Chapter 1: No Loose Ends**

 _ **Nine Years Later. . .**_

The sun was burning high, not a single cloud hanging over the bustle of Ninjago City. Car horns blared in the tight traffic that sprawled through the downtown area. Citizens meandered along the streets to and from the many retail stores and companies harbored within the city. Ninjago City was thriving and peaceful, despite the many odd occurrences that always threatened to disturb, thanks to the guardians that protected the land.

Deep within the city, in a small skyscraper, an unknown blast broke a large window and sent a shower of tempered glass to the streets below. Two individuals dressed in dark clothes with clown masks stared at the low building across from them and set down the device they'd used to break the glass. One of the men grabbed a new gadget with a hooked end and rested it on his shoulder, pressed the trigger and fired the tethered grappling hook across the street. It attached itself to its intended target. They secured their gear to the line and the two zip-lined above the busy streets.

On the street, another individual stood on the street corner with a duffle bag on his back and a clown mask hanging from his hip. The sound of tires screeching alerted him to a van rushing down the street. He quickly met it and climbed inside to join the others inside.

Back on the roof top, the two that had zip-lined safely landed and detached themselves, and their bag, before they rushed to the roof access door. They stopped at a locked box and pried it open with a crowbar, snipping two wires inside. "You think the ninja are going to stop us quicker than the cops?" one of them asked, slinging the bag over his shoulder.

"After disabling the security system and cameras," the other said, "doubt it. There's no way the cops or the ninja will catch us before the job is done." He stowed his tools away before opening the access door and descending down the stairs. "Hurry up. We got sixty seconds."

* * *

In the van, five masked men gazed at one another as they sped down the road. Some were checking their guns and ensuring they were loaded. One checked his watch and nodded. "We got sixty seconds. By now Alpha and Beta have disarmed the security," he informed the others. "No cops or ninja will be able to stop us."

A small guy, shorter than the others, stared at his watch nervously and took a deep breath. The job was going to be intense. "So. . . why do they call him Joker?" he wondered, trying to break the ice. "Surely there has to be a reason, right?"

"I heard it's because of the make-up he wears," Delta answered.

"Make up?" Helix inquired. "Sounds dumb."

"No, no, no. He wears it to make himself intimidating. Like how old rockstars would wear it for entertainment."

"I heard from some other people that he's called that because of the jokes he makes," Charlie added. "Only his jokes don't really make anyone laugh except himself. . . while he's beating the crap out of people."

The small man's eyes widened and he gulped. He really didn't like the sound of that, and he didn't want to ruin the job and make the boss mad. The passenger, Helix, gazed at his watch and nodded. "Fifteen seconds, Foxtrot. Rendezvous back here in twenty minutes," he informed the driver, getting his gun ready. He didn't wait for a reply as they pulled up to the bank. Four men climbed out and headed up the stairs while the driver sped away.

* * *

Inside the bank, Alpha and Beta finally reached their objective and set their bag down. In front of them stood a large bank vault, magnetic locks and hand cranked valves keeping it shut. Alpha reached into the bag and pulled out a drill with a magnetic attachment. He pressed it against the metal door and activated it, listening as it slowly drilled. "This will take ten minutes," he informed his partner. "Make sure no one intervenes or we're screwed."

Beta nodded and took up post at the vault entryway, his gun armed and ready.

* * *

The small man, Echo, followed his partners closely as they waited outside of the lobby. His heart raced. The objective was closer and his nerves grew more and more. He carefully peeked around the corner and saw that the lobby wasn't very crowded: about seven tellers and sixteen civilians. Echo turned back to see Helix and the others checking their equipment one last time before they barged in.

Citizens and tellers walked back and forth across the quiet lobby, but the sound of gunfire startled everyone as four masked men stomped in. "Everyone get down on the ground!" the leader, Helix, demanded. He fired his gun at the ceiling. "Come on, move it!"

Everyone in the lobby immediately dropped to the marble floor. Helix turned to Delta and Charlie and pointed at the tellers behind the counters. "You two, make sure they don't do anything funny. Everyone else, stay here and secure the area."

Echo watched as Delta and Charlie moved behind the desks to keep the tellers in place, all the while keeping his weapon trained on the people in front of him. His heart was pounding against his ribs and he took collective breaths to try and calm his nerves. How much longer did they have wait before they could leave?

* * *

The drill finally stopped. Alpha and Beta quickly unscrewed the large valve and pulled. The thick, armor plated door swung open. Both of their jaws dropped at the sight of the money stacked high on tables in the middle of the vault. They hit the jackpot. Without hesitation, the two grabbed several duffle bags and started stuffing the money into them until they were full, and then they filled more. "Go and get one of the others to help us bring these up," Alpha demanded.

* * *

Echo turned his head to the sound of heavy footfall in the quiet, tense lobby. One of the others was racing down the hall across from him. It looked like he was being rushed. Beta ran over to the leader and whispered something. "Echo," the leader said, nodding, "follow Beta and help bring the loot here. The driver will be here soon. Now go!"

Nodding, the small man followed his burly comrade to the vault. His jaw dropped at the number of bags piled outside of it. Ten full bags. Enough money to do almost anything. Echo watched Alpha and Beta each grab two bags and sling them over their shoulders. He holstered his weapon and followed suit. The trio made two trips, carrying the bags to the lobby. Helix motioned for them to gather while still targeting the civilians. "We've got less than five minutes before Foxtrot gets here," he said. "Until then, keep these people down." He lifted his eyes in time to see Echo wander away. "Echo, get back here!"

A small snicker escaped the masked man as he let out a deranged, cheerful laugh. His comrades looked at each other. What had gotten into him all of a sudden? "Oh boy. . . oh boy. . ." Echo chuckled. He turned his small, automatic weapon around and fired at his comrades' legs. They dropped to the floor as the civilians kept their heads down.

Pain radiated across Helix's leg and he groaned against the burning wave. He kept pressure on his right leg and watched blood escape the wound. His comrades whimpered in pain and he was growing increasingly worried. Echo danced happily and Helix glowered at him. "What the hell, man!?" he bellowed. "We're in this together! We don't go rogue! Who do you think you are!?"

Echo stopped his dancing and casually walked over towards his injured comrades. He could feel their hatred through their masks. "Do you know what you need to do to complete a job? What you need to do?" he mused. "You have to plan out everything strategically. How many people you need to bring, the equipment you need to carry. . ."

"Killing your partners in the end!?" Delta hissed.

Chuckling, Echo shook his head. "Oh no, no, no. . . The only person I had to kill was a bus driver."

"Bus driver?" Charlie inquired.

At that moment, the glass doors of the bank shattered as a yellow school bus crashed through it. The civilians shielded themselves against the shards of glass. The back door of the bus swing open to reveal the driver, Foxtrot. He hopped out and headed for the bags, but stopped as he caught sight of his partners on the floor. "What happened to them!?"

Echo didn't reply as he shot Foxtrot in the leg and began to load the bus.

After the final bag was loaded, Echo wandered back to Helix and knelt down beside him. "Now, where was I? The planning, the number of people, the equipment. . . oh yes. The most important thing about completing a job is to ensure that there are no loose ends." He removed his mask, revealing a pale face and slicked back bright green hair. His partners looked on in awe. It was the man they had been talking about earlier: their boss, Joker. "By the way, some of you were very close when guessing how I got my name. But you'll never really find out." He stood up and headed for the bus. "I bid thee farewell." He disappeared inside it.

The bus shuttered as it rode over the rubble, but slowly and surely it broke free from the bank. Echo-Joker laughed to himself and he drove down the stairs, clouds of debris following right behind him. Soon he merged behind a caravan of school buses that were driving into the city. Sirens wailed past the buses as they raced towards the bank. The man laughed even more. It was all according to plan: a job well done with no loose ends. Nothing could stop him, even if they died trying.


	3. Out of Control

**Chapter 2: Out of Control**

Eyes blinked in the eerie quiet. Darkness surrounded the teen as he used his ears and the dim light to his advantage. His breathing was silent and muffled under the fabric adorning his face. His muscles were tense as adrenaline pumped through his veins. He scanned around: all was quiet. The grey of his uniform blended into the darkness, making it impossible for him to be noticed. Nothing could expose him; he was focused on his goal.

"Lucas?" a voice whispered loudly in his hear. His heart rate spiked and his back became stiff as his breathing hitched. All of his concentration was now ruined. The teen, Lucas, glanced over his shoulder, past the rugged golden shoulder armor, and glared at a pair of hazel eyes. "Hey, Lucas." Jay gave a sheepish laugh after Lucas rolled his eyes. "Remind me again why we're in this museum?"

Sighing, the water ninja rubbed his temples. Out of all his teammates, he had gotten stuck with Jay. Then again, he _had_ lost the game of Rock, Paper, Clamp, which had all been Kai's idea. When Lucas got his hands on him. . . "Isn't it obvious, Jay?" he retorted. "One of the alarms was triggered, so someone is going to steal something. And, if I recall, this museum has powerful magical artifacts inside. Do you remember the Twilight Mirror? Unleashed chaos in the city?"

"And if you don't want that to happen again," another voice hissed quietly in Lucas's ear, through a device that allowed the ninja to communicate with each other. It was Cole. "Keep it down, will ya? We don't want to spook the thief. Plus, you're on an open channel and I don't want to hear any bickering."

Lucas snorted. "Oh who asked you? I'm just reminding him."

"Yet you are exposing yourself by being loud." Zane's voice rang aloud in his hear. "Now, let us focus on the mission. Cole and I have searched our level. Kai and Laurie, what do you have to report?"

"Nothing suspicious or missing in our area," Kai answered. "I don't think there's anything here that they'd want to steal."

"It's a museum, Kai," Laurie said. "There's bound to be something rare and valuable that they'd want to steal. I just hope, for once, Lloyd doesn't sneak out. I get so worried about him coming when we do stuff like this."

The grey ninja sighed. She was right: his youngest cousin, the destined green ninja, was infamous for sneaking away to _help_ them. Whenever it came to stealth missions, the brunet and red head always worried that Lloyd would end up being used as a hostage or hurt in some way. "It'll be alright, Laurie," Lucas reassured her. "My dad is keeping an eye on him. We left them meditating. They'll be at Dareth's for hours."

There was a long pause followed by a low sigh. "I'll trust you," the wind ninja said.

"Now with that all settled," Cole spoke up, "Jay, you and Lucas keep on searching around and make sure these thieves don't escape."

"Ten-four, Apricot." Jay laughed and led the way.

Lucas rolled his eyes at Jay's childish antics and followed after him. Their footsteps were quiet against the marble floor. Eyes scanned and ear perked to any sound as they searched. If the others had reported nothing, the chances of the intruders being in their area were high, but where were they?

The water ninja stopped as something caught his eye.

In a wall display case there were many artifacts from an old theater that had once been open in the city. From old pictures of ballet dancers to vinyl records, the grey ninja began to feel his heart quiver. Someone he once knew was a dancer, and seeing the display caused horrible nostalgia to creep up on him. The anniversary was drawing near. Lucas sighed with sorrow. He'd been hiding his emotions all week from his friends and cousins. They'd catch on to him eventually, but he didn't care as he rested his head against the glass and held back the tears from losing someone dear to him.

His mother.

"Lucas?" Jay said as he stared at his elemental brother. He raised a scarred eyebrow. What had gotten into him? "Hey, Lucas, wake up."

Lucas blinked and shook his head as he turned to see Jay's concerned gaze. He didn't want to answer any questions. "Wha. . . sorry. . ." he muttered. "I don't know what got into me."

"You all right, man?" the blue ninja wondered.

"Yeah, yeah. . . I'm fine." The grey ninja breathed in deeply to calm down. "I'm fine." Something shimmered out of the corner of his eye, disappearing down the corridor. It was small and he felt the presence of his element near him. He turned towards Jay and raised a finger to his lips. "Hang on. I don't think we're alone." He saw Jay nod before he took the lead.

Lucas held his breath as he quietly followed behind the invisible figure. Through the dimmed lights and a mist trailing behind the figure, Lucas was able to catch a good glimpse of them. As the stranger stopped at the corner, he snuck up on them. Time stretched on as the water ninja waited for them to move. Finally, after a quick movement, Lucas reached out and wrapped his arm around the figure, clamping a hand down over their mouth.

All he heard was a muffled yelp.

"If I were you," Lucas whispered to the figure, "I'd drop the mist trick and become visible, Shrimp."

Soon miniscule beads of water evaporated and revealed a child in a green ninja suit. Lloyd. The Ninja of Water gave his cousin a hard stare as he continued to detain him. "Now, tell me, why are you here and not at Dareth's where we specifically told you to stay? You know there'll be consequences, like extra chores or even being grounded, right?" He removed his hand from the boy's mouth.

Lloyd looked away from his cousin and shook free of his grip. "Look, I know I'm in deep water," he admitted, "but I wanted to help. I'm a ninja too. The mighty green ninja! So. . . yeah, I snuck away from Uncle to help you guys."

Lucas softened his stare and sighed. He wasn't going to go easy on him this time. "You heard this, guys?" he asked into his earpiece.

"Yeah, we did," Laurie replied. "When we get home, Lloyd, you're in trouble. I'm sure Uncle has extra chores for you to do." Lloyd sighed as he listened to his sister's voice. "Okay. Stay with Lucas and don't run off or you'll be in more trouble than you already are."

Lucas, Lloyd, and Jay heard the communicators become silent. It was time to continue the search. "So, with that out of the way," Lloyd mumbled, nervous about the talk he'd have later with his uncle, "you should know that when I was invisible I think I saw the people you're looking for. They're around the corner." He pointed in the direction that Lucas had grabbed him from.

Intrigued, the water and lightning ninja carefully peeked around the corner and saw that Lloyd had been telling the truth. In the center of the Astronomy Exhibit stood two masked figures, wandering around the museum with flashlights. Jay chuckled quietly to himself and moved back to stay out of sight. "Easy enough, right? Two burglars, two ninja, easy catch. We got this in the bag."

Lucas did a double take as he pondered Jay's words. It seemed as easy as the auburn haired teen had said, but maybe it was too easy. "I don't like the looks of it and I don't want any of us getting hurt. They could be armed and we wouldn't know."

"Oh pish-posh," the blue ninja doubted. "Like they can hurt us with flashlights. Watch, I'll go take care of them myself." He drew out his nunchucks and swung them around as he walked away from his cover.

"Jay, get back here."

The exhibit was silent. The two masked intruders moved their flashlights around the dim room in hopes of finding something valuable, both unaware of a third person in the room with them. They heard a quiet shuffle and turned around to see nothing, but when they turned back they jumped. Jay laughed. "Stealing from a museum?" he teased. "Don't you know that's against the law? Oh well, looks like it's behind bars for you." The two men looked at each other and drew their guns from their waists. The Ninja of Lightning stiffened and his voice cracked. "Oh. . . heheheheh. . . guns. I didn't think of that."

Lucas slammed his palm against his face. First Lloyd sneaking in and now this? Jay was going to get himself shot if he didn't do anything to help. "Stay here," he told Lloyd. Taking a deep breath, the brunet bolted from the corridor and grabbed Jay. The two hid behind a marble column as the two intruders fired their weapons at them.

The sound of gunfire made Lucas's eyes grow wide with fear, the bullets chipping away the stone of the marble column. He could barely breathe. The more the intruders fired, the more Lucas could see the images of his tragic past burning in his mind. An alley, gunfire, a woman screaming. He tried to push the images, but they bore into his skull and he squeezed his eyes shut as the woman screamed louder in his ears. His eyes snapped open and his brows stitched together.

Eventually, the gunfire ceased. The water ninja recognized that they were reloading and took the opportunity to pull the fire alarm. Sirens echoed through the museum and the ceiling sprinklers rained down on everyone. Lucas's heart was pounding with hatred as he walked out from his cover and towards the two men, his elemental powers coming to life. The two men fired, but Lucas created a wall of water and caught the bullets as he continued to advance. With both of their weapons empty, Lucas pushed the men off of their feet and encased them within an orb of water. They struggled to escape, but Lucas's concentration wasn't going to break. They wouldn't get out.

The blue and green ninja watched on in horror. They were scared of what Lucas might do to them if they intervened. Footsteps rushed over towards them and they turned to see the rest of team. "We heard gunfire!" Cole said. He looked around and saw one person missing. "Where's Lucas!?"

"What does it look like!?" Jay screamed, ushering all of them to see where Lucas was. The ninja were awestruck as they watched Lucas control the orb of water, the two intruders struggling and drowning. "After he saved my butt from being shot, he looked scared and then suddenly he went berserk! I don't know what to do. I don't want to end up like those guys."

Blue eyes glared at Jay, but then they drifted towards the liquid orb. Laurie was scared. She didn't understand what was happening to her cousin, but the safety of the trapped men was important. As they both went limp, Laurie charged towards Lucas and tugged on his arms. "Lucas, stop!" she begged. "This isn't you! Can't you see that you're killing them?" There was no response. She gasped and took a step back as she looked him in the eye. Sometimes, when conjuring his element, Lucas's eyes would turn a milky white, but they were pitch black. Laurie felt lost, unsure of what to do, until she glanced at the bo staff in her hands. She grabbed the end of her weapon and swung it at the back of Lucas's head with a loud thwack.

Pain erupted on the back of his head as his concentration slipped, the orb of water breaking apart and releasing the two unconscious men. His eyes burned and his head felt like it was on fire as he removed his mask and rubbed the back of his head. Blood caked his gloved hand as he drew it back, and then he turned to see Laurie's terrified eyes. The end of her weapon was darkened maroon. Lucas tried to speak as he watched Zane inspect the limp bodies. "Wh-What happened?" he asked, scared.

Someone turned him around. Cole grabbed Lucas off of his feet and slammed him back against a wall, knocking the wind from his lungs. The grey ninja struggled to escape. "What happened? You nearly killed two people!" the earth ninja bellowed. "I understand that they fired at you, but that doesn't mean you can lose control of your powers. Ninja don't kill people unless it's absolutely necessary." Cole released Lucas and he slumped to the floor.

"Luckily they are unconscious," Zane stated after examining them. "After that traumatic experience, they might not remember anything. Consider yourself lucky."

A knot tightened itself in Lucas's stomach at the thought of killing two people. It was a relief that they were alive, yet he couldn't believe that he'd let his anger get the best of him. Sirens blared outside as police began to storm the scene. The ninja watched as the masked men were carried out. The chief walked over to them. "Thanks for the help," he said. "We were glad that you apprehended them before they got away."

"It was nothing," Lloyd boasted, his hands behind his head. "Just happy to help." He let out a nervous laugh as his sister and friends gave him hard stares. Lloyd was still in trouble for following them to the museum.

"Ninja, wait!" a feminine voice called out. The ninja turned and were blinded by a flash of light. As they shook off the daze from the camera, they noticed a new person in the room. She was a news reporter, but not the one that normally interviewed them. She was young with a blonde bob and light blue eyes, dressed in a tan trench coat. The girl glanced at her camera and smiled. "Perfect! Oh, sorry for the rudeness. Channel Six News. It's been my job to catch the latest scoop on the ninja. Care for an interview?"

Puzzled, Zane's eyes lit up and he hummed as he scanned the girl's face for recognition, but nothing appeared in his databased. "Um. . . pardon us, miss, but you said Channel Six News, right?" he asked. "What happened to Gayle Gossip?"

"Oh, right," she said, regaining her composure and holding out her hand. "Vicki Vale, photo journalist. How do you do?" She noticed none of them shook her hand, so she cleared her throat and pulled out her notepad. "I'm covering for Gayle while she's on vacation for the next week. Been trying hard to have an interview with the ninja. Now my chance has come." She pulled a tape recorder out of her bag. "Now, tell me, have you heard the latest news about the recent bank heists? Over six banks in the city have been robbed by an unknown man. How can you help to ensure that this never happens again?"

The seven ninja felt lost and came up empty handed. They _had_ heard of the recent robberies, but they hadn't felt like the needed to help stop them. "Uh. . ." Cole stammered. "I honestly don't know what to say, but I don't think we need to be involved since the police haven't asked for our help yet."

Lucas thought about what Cole said: they didn't need to be involved unless the police asked for them. Of course, if they knew about the heists, shouldn't they help even without the police requesting them? That was what ninja did. "Hold on, what do you mean?" he asked. "We just took care of this job without the police's permission. So what's the difference?"

A huff escaped the raven haired teen as he pulled Lucas closer. "Think before you act," he hissed in his ear. "We don't know who we're dealing with and they could be very dangerous. We fight with weapons, not guns. We deal with Serpentine and other supernatural things. Leave it to the cops. I'm doing this for the safety of the team. Don't forget what you just did. I don't want that happening again."

Lucas snorted and stormed out of the museum.

Vicki watched the water ninja leave and shrugged her shoulders. "Well then, now that that's over with, shall we contin-" She had been searching through her bag for a pen, but as she looked up she noticed she stood alone. The ninja were gone, disappeared without a trace. A smirk played on her lips. "Want to play hard to get? I'll play then," she laughed. "Until next time, ninja."


	4. Knowing The Truth

**Chapter 3: Knowing The Truth**

Annoyance and anger bubbled inside him as he watched his cousin train on the Bounty's deck, remembering the events from last night. Being shot at was one thing, but hearing Cole say that they weren't going to help the police with the bank heists? Last night and today were not going well, and it wasn't helping him as he trained his youngest cousin.

The boy clad in green sparred against his cousin, blocking his strikes and throwing his own attacks. Along with the training, he had to use his elemental powers to help him focus and train his hand-eye coordination, but, much to the grey ninja's annoyance, Lloyd's speed was reducing and he kept failing to use his powers properly. Not to mention that he'd also fallen on the training mat several times, unaware of how fatigued he was becoming.

The Ninja of Water blocked his cousin's attack and flipped him over his back, pinning him down to the mat. When Lloyd didn't fight to break free from his grip, Lucas grumbled in annoyance. "Come on, Lloyd," he barked, releasing his hold on the boy. "How can you be tired at a time like this? A ninja has to keep moving in order to protect himself. By now you wouldn't been captured by the enemy or killed in the fight. One more time, now. Don't hold back. I know you can do better than this."

Lloyd sighed as he struggled to stand, his limbs sore and jelly-like.

Cole paused his spar against Jay after hearing Lucas's ruckus. He could see the exhaustion in Lloyd's emerald eyes and the way he had trouble staying up on his feet. Lucas was working the boy ragged. "Lloyd, stop," he ordered. "You need a break, I can tell. Take a half hour, you've earned it." A tired smile grew on the boy's face as he walked away from his cousin and leaned against the railing of the deck. Cole was happy to see Lloyd relaxing, but then he turned to Lucas and gave him a hard stare. "You need to lay off him."

"What did I do?" he asked. "All we were doing was sparring."

"You were pushing him too hard," Cole said. "We've each trained Lloyd very hard, but don't forget that he's just a kid. You shouldn't be so rough on him. Look at him." He gestured to the boy whose eyes were shut tight, sleeping. "He could barely hold his own against you." Cole watched as Lucas stormed off and started taking his frustration out on a punching bag. He shook his head at Lucas's poor attitude and gathered the rest of the team together as they watched.

The light, hollow taps of a staff alerted the ninja as they watched Sensei Wu enter the deck from below the bow, respectively. The elderly man smiled at his students as he noticed his nephew asleep on the edge of the deck, but then his grey eyes traveled to his son who was fighting against the punching bag. "Hmm. . . Has something pestered my son to make him so aggressive?" he wondered. "I sense tension in him."

"You could say something like that, Sensei," Kai murmured.

The elder turned to the red ninja and raised a brow. Zane nudged the spiky brunet on the back for stating it so bluntly. "What he meant is yes, Lucas is tense. After last night he has been quiet and distant from us."

The ninja watched as Lucas drew out his sais and slashed at the bag, sand pouring out of it. Sensei Wu nodded and stroked his snow white beard. "I see," he agreed. "Tell me then, what else happened during the mission? I think there's more than what you have given me."

"Well. . ." Jay said, remembering the events. "We split up into teams after Rock, Paper, Clamp. Lucas found Lloyd and then brought him with us. We found robbers attempting to steal something. I was going to stop them myself, but Lucas saved my butt after they pulled guns on me and fired." He stopped and noticed his mentor's widened eyes. "I think you know something we don't."

A solemn look crossed his face as he turned away from his students and watched his son. The more he watched Lucas, the more he could see the pain in his eyes as he tore the bag apart. Sensei Wu understood now. "Sensei, are you alright?" Zane asked. "Is there something you know about our brother that we do not?" A quiet sigh came from the elderly man as he moved part of his kimono and undershirt and showed his students a mark. It was a discolored, circular blemish that bore into his skin on the right side of his chest.

The ninja studied the odd mark until they realized what it was. A quiet gasp escaped the Ninja of Wind. "You were shot, Uncle?" she pried, worried.

"Yes, my niece," he replied, shifting his garments back into place, "but that was a long time ago. I suppose you five should know what is troubling my son." He took a deep breath as the pain of the past burned his mind. "Nine years ago, my beloved wife and I took Lucas out of the Monastery Dojo for a day in Ninjago City. He was a happy boy, taking in everything with excitement, never asking for too much. He was always held behind the dojo wall unless he went to Jamanakai Village with his mother. He was the happiest when he was outside."

Sensei Wu studied his son and smiled, remembering when he was just nine years old, training to be a ninja. "Sadly though," he continued, "that was the night that the happiest boy became sad." His students glanced at him with curiosity. "That night we went to an opera, Lucas had always wanted to see one, but something scared him and we stepped out for some air. That was a grave mistake. We were held at gunpoint. I was shot at and then my wife. . ." He turned towards his students and saw the looks of sorrow and pity on their faces. "So now you five understand what is happening with Lucas. He's not angry or annoyed with you about last night, but the anniversary of his mother's death is drawing near. He's full of pain and grief. He wants to ensure that her fate never happens to any of us."

Ice blue eyes moved towards the brunet, watched him stare down at the punching bag that was not torn to shreds on the floor. Laurie looked away. Her cousin was in pain. She understood the feeling of hurt and loss. So did Lloyd. She had grown up without a father after he was banished to the Underworld. And Lloyd had grown up without either parent, spending his life in boarding school. They all shared this sense of loss, but not at quite the extent that Lucas did. And hearing about her poor aunt, the aunt she had never met. . . she was worried about Lucas.

The silence of the deck was broken as the ship's alarm blared to life. The ninja became tense because they knew it was a call for help. Lloyd jumped up from his nap, yawned and stretched. They all watched Nya calmly walk down the stairs from the bridge as the alarm died. "It's nothing too major," she addressed her friends. "Another bank was robbed and the police are requesting your presence. They think you guys can help them."

Cole looked at his teammates and shrugged his shoulders. "We can try," he said, doubtful. "I don't know how big of help we can be though."

"Sweet, another mission!" Lloyd yawned, still exhausted.

"Ah, ah, young man," Sensei Wu chastised, placing his staff across Lloyd's chest. "You're not going anywhere. After all, you're grounded for leaving my sight last night." All he heard was a whine of protest from his nephew, but that was his final answer.

Lucas watched as his brothers prepped themselves to leave and he turned back to look at what was once a punching bag. He shook his head as he realized he'd gotten carried away and sheathed his blades. As he followed after his team he wondered how much help they could be to the police after the heist. Maybe they could help capture the people behind. Either way, hopefully they could do something despite what Cole had said the night before.


	5. Calling Card

**Chapter 4: Calling Card**

His mind was busy as he watched his forensic team study and search the empty bank vault. Blue eyes blinked against the flash of a camera and he stepped out of the vault as officers meandered through the robbed bank. Some tended to civilians that had been taken as hostages, others escorted the injured accomplices outside. The commissioner formed a pattern in his head, though he couldn't quite make sense of it. A group of men robbed a bank successfully, but only one escaped? Who was this person? He wondered if the ninja would be of much help.

Another flash from a camera caught the man off guard and he tried to blink the light from his eyes. His daze passed as he saw where the flash had come from: the young reporter, Vicki Vale, was in front of him. The blonde girl gazed at her camera and scoffed at the picture before taking another one. It was better the second time. "There we go," she praised, stowing her camera away. "Now, Commissioner Gordon, any leads on who is responsible for these devastating robberies? How can you assure that this won't happen to any other banks in Ninjago when six have already been robbed? Are the ninja going to help at all?"

A sigh escaped the man as the reporter continued to pester him, but he had to give her an answer. He was the highest member of authority on scene at the moment. Hopefully it would keep her at bay. "As I've said before, Miss Vale," he said, "we don't have much of a lead on who this robber is or why he leaves his men behind. We don't know how we can prevent any other banks from being hit and we don't know how, or if, the ninja can help us. Once they arrive, we'll know for sure. Now, please, stay back and don't cross the police line." He motioned the girl away from the crime scene and stepped back into the vault.

Vicki snorted. She wasn't getting much information for her report. Being a photojournalist _and_ covering for an anchorwoman? Her job was becoming twice as hard as it had been originally. The recent events could have a major impact on her career, and she felt helpless because it wasn't going in her favor. "Very well, Gordon," she sighed as she turned and saw the ninja enter the building. "Commissioner, they're here."

The man stopped in his tracks and turned back to see the aforementioned people in his line of sight. He felt a sense of relief as he met up with them. "Glad you could make it," he greeted. He paused as he noticed the grey ninja studying him intently. Did he know him? Gordon shrugged it off as he continued. "The name is Jim Gordon, and I'm leading this investigation. I hope that you guys can be of help, if possible."

"It's no problem, sir," Cole replied. "We'll try to help, but I doubt we will be of any use."

"Well that's somewhat reassuring. Come with me." The commissioner led the six teenagers to the vault and motioned for his forensic team to step out for a second. The ninja glanced around at the emptiness. "As you can see, it's pretty bare in here. Same story as the other robberies: he picks the vault clean, wounds his men, leaves them behind, and isn't at the scene when police arrive."

"He leaves the marked bills behind as well," Zane observed, scanning them with the panel on his arm. "Seems that this perpetrator knows what he is doing. Do you have any leads on who he is?"

"Not really, or, at least, not with her hovering around," the man answered, pointing out towards Vicki Vale. He reached inside his jacket pocket and pulled out an evidence bag. Inside was a single playing card: the joker. "He, however, left a calling card behind. We couldn't lift any fingerprints from it, but we did collect some information from the others. They call him Joker."

"Joker?" Laurie inquired.

"It's just a nickname to hide his identity," Gordon replied. "He's a mob boss most likely. From what witnesses say, he makes the heists as jokes. He laughs when he incapacitates his partners. He's just a man who finds things funny."

"Huh, I thought that was Jay's job," Kai teased.

"Hey!" Jay chastised.

Sighing, Lucas rolled his eyes and shook his head, hoping that a fight wouldn't break out between the fire and lightning ninja. Usually it was Kai and him that fought, since fire and water didn't mix together. "Guys, not now," he argued. "You can beat each other up back home." Lucas turned towards the commissioner and took the bag from him, inspecting it. "Joker, huh? Seems like a. . . colorful character. Have you guys had other investigations on him before? Seems a bit odd that he'd have a calling card, right?"

"I hate to say it, but we haven't actually," Gordon replied, taking the bag back. "It seems that he's brand new, just blew into town. We don't know his real name, what he looks like, or even his whereabouts. Right now he's a ghost until we get more information from others."

"So what is that you need from us, commissioner?" the ice ninja pried.

"Well, if it isn't too much to ask," Gordon continued, "we were wondering if you could try and help us. You guys have a reputation of stopping crime before we do, so we need your help if possible."

There was a long pause from everyone. They all glanced at each other and pondered if they could be of help. Lucas, however, was lost in his thoughts. There was an unknown criminal on the loose responsible for armed robbery, and possibly dangerous. He figured they should help. "Well. . . I don't know," he heard Cole reply. "It's as you said, you don't know who he is or his whereabouts, things that would make it possible for us to seek him out. We'd either be sitting ducks or in your way."

The grey ninja watched as the officer nodded his head in agreement and furrowed his brows. "Hold on," Lucas interjected. "I think it's something we could take on. We've dealt with stuff like this before and, if we act now, we can stop the next robbery. We're not sitting ducks, we're ninja."

With that, he felt the front of his gi being pulled forward and Cole had his masked face to his. "Don't forget," he hissed in Lucas's ear, "we don't know how dangerous this could be. We don't want to jeopardize the team. Leave it to the professionals for the time being." Cole released his grip and smacked Lucas on the back of his head.

A grumble escaped from the brunet and he shoved Cole aside as he went to stand away from the group. It annoyed him that Cole had given the same response he had before. As thick headed as the earth ninja was, the water ninja wasn't one to deny a request. "Whatever," he mumbled.

Sighing, Gordon turned away and pondered everything. Hearing their response, it seemed true that they couldn't be of help at the moment, yet the grey ninja had a tone of determination. "Well, I guess for the time being, we'll let you be until we have a lead," he said. "For now you can deal with stopping Serpentine and other unnatural things."

"Sounds fair, sir," Laurie nodded.

The man nodded and turned to take his leave, but stopped in his tracks as he remembered something. "Oh, and ninja," he said, and then paused as he looked back. He stood alone inside the bank vault and blinked as he wondered how they'd left past him unnoticed. "Well then."

"Such an odd bunch of people, wouldn't you agree?" said Vicki, a sly smile playing on her lips. "Even the little green one. Since they're ninja they can disappear without a trace, without us knowing. Kind of rude if you ask me." Her pencil scribbled on her notepad, recording what she had heard from eavesdropping on the conversation. Once she stopped, she glanced her blue eyes towards the man and smiled. "So commissioner, shall we continue where we left off?"

A groan came from the man's throat as he rolled his eyes. It was going to be a long day.


	6. Smile Everyone

**Hey everyone, happy Friday, and time for a new update and we're already on the sixth chapter. Even though it says chapter 5, but there was a prologue before the chapters. Anyway, I hope you, the readers, are enjoying the story. To me, it's really fun making these Ninjago-crossover hero stories and I hope you're having a good time with them. So I would love to hear your reviews as well. Anyway, enjoy the next chapter of Lucas' new story.**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Smile Everyone**

A large room glowed brightly from within a building. Elegant furniture decorated the spacious place, making it look like a home someone lived in. Glass chandeliers, glass table tops, and fine china plates were just the basics. Stark white couches and chairs reflected the interior lights and wrapped the room in a warm embrace. Fine Ming vases and other decorations gave the room and lived in feel, but the upstairs was kept secret in the penthouse suite of the apartment complex. Soft classical music played in the background, having a calming effect on the room.

Inside the upstairs room laid a man on top of a thin layer of paper currency. His hair was short, bright green, and well groomed. Skin as white as the furniture bared tattoos. His dress shirt and black pants were pressed as if they had just been picked up from the cleaners, and he remained still on the floor with the money. A small chuckle escaped his throat as he stared at his reflection in the mirrors mounted on the ceiling, marveling at himself and the money.

He admired how successful he was.

There was a soft knock and footsteps approaching. The man sprang from his spot and pulled out a firearm, but slowly relaxed as he recognized the man entering the room, setting his weapon aside. "Sorry to interrupt your. . . pay day," the man who had entered the room apologized. He was dressed in a white striped suit. "I've noticed you've been quiet for some time and it had me curious."

The green haired man gazed at his gun and tossed it onto the couch before reaching towards the record player and stopping it. The den was silent. He sighed as he gazed around at the currency, but then smiled. "Just enjoying my time alone, Sionis," he replied, pulling himself up off the ground. "After all, robbing banks alone takes a toll on a man."

"Yet you always leave your team behind. Aren't you worried they'll rat you out?"

He smirked as he picked up a small handful of money. "Greed can do that to a man," he giggled. "It can change him into something new, into someone he thought he would never be." He tossed the handful aside. "And sometimes a greedy person has to crack a few eggs to make a successful omelet, and I don't fear that these cracked eggs are spoiled."

The other man, Sionis, raised a brow. It was all quite elaborate. When he looked at his colleagues green eyes he really couldn't see fear in them. Truly a man without fear. "I see." Sionis nodded and also took a handful of money. "And what do you plan to do with this omelet? Surely there's something you desire above all of these successful robberies."

All the green haired man could so was shrug his shoulders and pace the den. Sionis was right. He could do anything with all of the money he'd obtained, but nothing came to mind. At least, nothing he'd tell Sionis. "I'm unsure. I could use it for cars, but I'm not into that. I'm more into weapons, gunpowder, anything explosive. Of course, more than that, I'd rather keep what I want a secret from my men." Sionis only nodded in response, clearly interested. "Who knows what I'm going to do with it. I'm just a man with large amount of money."

"Just a man indeed," Sionis agreed, dropping the money. "But why, Joker? What makes you so. . . quiet and mysterious? You're not like other criminals in this city. There are so many rumors about you. What's the deal?"

Joker was quiet for a moment and walked toward the large, penthouse window. Nighttime had descended upon Ninjago City, the city lights bright against the darkness. He could see the vehicles driving on the busy roads downtown, citizens enjoying a night out below him. A city that never slept. "I'm the kind of guy that. . . likes to hide everything behind a smile," he said, raising his left hand to his mouth. In the window's reflection he could see the crude, Cheshire smile tattooed on his hand. When he moved his hand aside he saw his own Cheshire grin plastered across his face. "That's who I am. That's what makes me, me. I want to see a smile on everyone's face."

"Maybe. Still doesn't explain the gig. What has this place done to you?"

Joker's smile immediately dropped as he gazed at the city around him. His chest burned with anger. He quickly grabbed a gun and fired. A bullet sailed past Sionis' face and shattered a vase. Sionis stood rigid as he heard Joker grumble. He must've said something that upset the green haired man. Joker glanced at the gun and tossed it aside as he looked back out the window.

"This city has done many things to me," he growled. "I was once like everyone below: so new, so young. . . so full of fear." He clenched his fist and pounded it against the glass. "Fear lives in everyone. The city creates it and people endure it. I was afraid of the city, unsure of where I was supposed to be, of what I had to do, of who I was. This city took a lot from me and molded me into a new person. Into this." A hearty chuckle came from the man, growing into loud maniacal laughter. "Something came to me one day, and I no longer felt fear. I create it. And, with it, I will bring this city to its knees. They will taste the core of fear. Ninjago City will burn one day."

Sionis' heart beat rapidly and he swallowed the lump in his throat. Joker was a lunatic. He could feel fear clinging to him just by being in the same room as him. "An-And the ninja?" he stuttered. "What about them? What will you do if they try to stop you? They already deal with monstrous things."

Snorting, Joker shrugged the question off and walked away from the window. He headed towards a console on the wall and presses a few buttons. The computer system automatically drew the blinds and blocked the view of the city. "Let them try," he replied. "Deep down, they too have fears just like everyone else. They're afraid to admit it. That's why people look up to them, because the ninja don't show fear when others do."

Nodding, the man in the striped suit followed the Joker as they walked through the apartment and stopped at the base of the stairs. "Very well," Sionis said. "I'll let you be for the night. I'll see to the operation with the men tonight. Also, I need to make sure there are no cops or ninja spying around."

"I can assure you, no ninja will be bothering you tonight," the green haired man said as he climbed the stairs. "They're too busy with other things to bother us. Now leave." He watched as Sionis nodded and left. Joker continued up the stairs and entered a master bedroom, but he wasn't heading for a bed. Instead, he simply made his way to the middle of the room and laid down on the floor, surrounded by a variety of firearms and knives neatly arranged around him. He gazed at his collection and closed his eyes with a smirk.

And he let out a slow, nonchalant laugh.


	7. Secrets Revealed, Others Hidden

**Chapter 6: Secrets Revealed, Others Hidden**

Far across the city stood a large, wooden ship anchored on top of a small building. The canvas sails swayed softly as slow gusts of wind brushed over the wooden hull. The dragon figurehead of the ship looked menacing in the darkness, shimmering lanterns casting long shadows over it, though in the day it appeared more innocent. The air was quiet other than the faint sounds of the city, but inside the ship came a loud commotion caused by seven teenagers and one kid. Except, one of the teens wasn't causing any of it.

Hazel grey eyes darted towards the bedroom door as a loud crash sounded. The water ninja had no doubt that it was his elemental brothers being destructive, having a Fist to Face 2 tournament and someone was being a sore loser. Lucas wished he could join in on the fun, but after talking with the police he'd stayed inside his shared bunkroom. He was still agitated that Cole said they couldn't help with the heist issue, when in reality they could. Ninja never back down, yet they weren't doing anything. Lucas decided to do his own investigation.

He tapped a pencil against his knuckles as he gazed at his notes and a sketch he'd made of the Joker card from earlier. A person named Joker that left playing cards behind. Something about it was off, and Lucas was stumped as to know who the man could be. Not even a map of Ninjago City marked with the locations of the robbed banks revealed much of a pattern. The suspect could be anyone. It reminded Lucas of his uncle, needing money to create something devious with the Mega Weapon's power. Or the pirate captain, Soto, who had escaped from prison with his crew.

Huffing, the Ninja of Water pushed the notepad off of his lap and leaned back against the headboard of his bed. "Think, Lucas, think," he murmured to himself. "You're better than this." His gaze drifted to his right wrist and he sighed.

Around his wrist was a small silver chain, a charm bracelet, but the only charm it ever held was a tiny sterling silver raindrop. Another sigh escaped him as he grabbed the charm with his fingers and felt the sting of tears forming in his eyes. It hadn't even been a year since he'd received the bracelet when he was in limbo, but the pain from the person who'd given it to him almost made him want to cry.

Like the museum exhibit before, the grey ninja could feel the pain of his mother's death around as he gazed at the charm. A bracelet he was supposed to get as a gift from his mother on the dark night that impacted his life, when his mother should have been around. However, on the night Lucas sacrificed himself in order to protect his father, he'd been stuck between life and death. He'd reunited with his mother and she'd given him the charm bracelet. She'd always known it was his destiny to become the elemental master of water. Lucas moved his hand away from his sight, not able to bear the pain any longer.

A soft knock on the bedroom door made the brunet lift his head and stare. There was no doubt in his mind that it was his brothers trying to get in since he'd locked the door. Another knock on the door caused Lucas to snort. This was becoming tedious. He pushed his notes and map under the covers of his bed and hopped off the top bunk. "You guys are starting to get on my nerves more than usual," he barked. "I know it's our room, but I want to be alone." He unlocked the door, ready to punch whoever was bothering him, but when he threw open the door he stopped himself. "Oh. . . hey. . ."

It was his cousin, Laurie.

The red haired girl had her eyes shyly trained on the floor as she stood in front of him. Her hands were stuffed into the conjoined pocket of the red sweatshirt that Lucas knew belonged to Kai. It shuffled as she nervously played with her hands. She was quiet. Growing impatient, Lucas began to close the door, but she quickly reached out and stopped him from doing so. Finally, she lifted her head and smiled at him softly. "Hey," she said back.

"Is there something you need?" he asked.

The girl was silent again and Lucas raised a scarred brow, wondering what she wanted. She drew in a deep breath and pulled him closer to her, in a tight embrace. Lucas only blinked as he watched her rest her head on his chest. He awkwardly wrapped his arms around her to return the hug. What had gotten into her?

The two stood still, caught in the embrace, for a moment until the wind ninja pulled away and smiled, tucking some hair behind her right ear. "Sorry," she murmured, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet. "I just thought you needed a hug because of everything that's been happening." Her cousin still seemed confused. Laurie sighed and lifted her gaze. "I know what's been bothering you. I want you to know that I'm sorry and I'm here for you."

"Here for what?" he inquired. "What do you mean you're 'sorry'?"

"Uncle told us all about. . . something we didn't know," she replied, leaning against the door frame. "I just want to say how sorry I am to hear about what happened to my aunt, your mother. I'm letting you know that I'm here for you. You're going through a hard time right now and if you need to talk it out, I'll listen."

All Lucas could do was blink. He never thought his father would have told his cousins and brothers about his mother's death. He hadn't wanted to mention it to anyone, but now the past had been revealed and it was going to be hard to hide his pain. "Uh. . . thanks," he stuttered, "but I'm fine, Laurie, really." He took a deep breath to collect himself. "I just want to be alone. There really isn't anything to talk about."

"Or we could talk about you nearly drowning two people when you and Jay were being shot at," she stated. Lucas choked on his breath and looked away shamefully. "Look, I understand what happened now, after I broke your. . . trance. I'm sorry I hurt you, but I was scared of what you might do. You were going to go against Uncle's code of killing. It wasn't right and it definitely wasn't something your mother would have wanted-"

"You don't know anything about the pain I feel, Laurie," he exclaimed. Laurie flinched, taking a step back from her cousin. The grey ninja paused, regaining his composure. "I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to snap. I know you grew up without your father and Lloyd grew up without either of your parents, but this is different. My mom was. . . taken away from me, right in front of my eyes. It hurts every day and I just need some time, okay?"

Laurie was silent for a moment and nodded. She could tell he needed the time. Her vision wavered and a lump formed in her throat as she thought about her father. "Alright. I-I'll leave you alone," she mumbled, turning away before she let her tears flow. As she walked away, she stopped and wiped her eyes. "I always remember something I heard my mother say to my father before he disappeared: it's not who you are on the surface, but you who are underneath that defines you. You're a ninja, sure, but more importantly you're a good guy. You're not the murderer that I almost saw back at the museum." Laurie turned the corner and disappeared down the corridor.

Lucas stood outside the bunkroom and sighed. He really hurt her. He shouldn't have used the fact that his uncle had abandoned her as a weapon, but he couldn't take it back now. Lucas tried to call her back, but the words were frozen in his throat. Brushing it away, he turned and headed back for his bed.

He stopped in his tracks as he heard something screeching and fluttering.

Lucas remained quiet for a moment and shrugged off the noise. It was probably one of the others making it, in the den. The noise came again and the brunet realized it was coming from the opposite direction of the den. He walked out of the room to find the source. Lucas' hazel grey eyes scanned while he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his sweatshirt and walked around the ship. The screeching grew louder as he turned the corner. The hallway was a dead end and he raised a brow as he noticed a lone bat flying in the corner. "Well how did you get in here?" he wondered, looking over his shoulder to see an open porthole. "Oh, that's how. Well then, time to go."

He disappeared for a moment and returned with a broom. "Come on now," he muttered, reaching out towards the bat. It screeched loudly as the grey ninja disturbed it and flew away to avoid the broom's bristles. Lucas grumbled to himself. He swiped at the bat out of frustration and only managed to slam his elbow into the wall. Tingling pain caused him to wince, but he eventually got the bat onto the broom and carefully carried it the window. The bat flew away.

As Lucas closed the window he heard a loud click in the quiet of the hall. He glanced around until his eyes locked onto the dead end wall.

Curious, he noticed sections of wooden boards caved in slightly. Cautiously, Lucas rested his hand on them and pushed. The wall swayed inward, and he realized it was a door. There was a set of stairs on his left now. Lucas rushed back to the bedroom and fished out a flashlight from his belongings before heading back to the hidden stairs. A beam of light emitted from his electrical torch, brightening his field of vision as he carefully descended downstairs. Behind him the door's counterweight activated, closing it and giving the illusion that the door was no longer there.

The wooden stairs creaked after each step as Lucas slowly walked down into the darkness. His eyes scanned around in curiosity and amazement. He knew that the Bounty had a stairwell to the basement, but this set of stairs intrigued him. When he finally reached the last stair, Lucas gazed around the small clearing in front of him as he shined the light at some lanterns hanging from several beams. One lantern rested next to him on a barrel. _Interesting_ , he thought to himself as he picked up the lantern. He spotted some flint and steel on the barrel as well and put the lantern back down as he grabbed the two items. "And let there be light." Lucas struck the striker and a small spark touched the wick of the lantern. A flame flickered to life, brightening the room more.

The Ninja of Water spent a few more minutes lighting the rest of the lanterns and studied the small, empty room. A hidden room in the ship. He wondered if any of the others knew about it. Lloyd had a hidden compartment he used for stashing candy in their room, but this was completely different. It seemed more like a hidden treasure room, something maybe Captain Soto had used in the past. The Destiny's Bounty was full of surprises.

Lucas was silent as he found no point to the room and began snuffing out the lanterns before he turned back to the stairs. With his flashlight in hand, he ascended the stairs and found a lever on the wall. He pulled it and the door swung open. His mind was still racing from finding the hidden room and he stepped out as he watched it conceal itself again. "That's pretty cool," he laughed to himself, turning to head back to his room, but he noticed something out of the corner of his eye.

From the window where he'd released the bat, Lucas saw a building that stood above the rest of the city. A building that he easily recognized. The tallest building in Ninjago City, where he'd died: Ninjago City Tower.

Something clicked in his mind as he glanced back and forth between the hidden room and tower that belonged to his grandfather's company. Lucas remembered that his mother once told him that the company could create anything that would make the city thrive, and that he was also the heir. He pondered until he put the pieces together. "Maybe there is a way to find and stop the Joker," he said, looking at the hidden door. "With or without their help."


	8. Ninjago City Tower

**Chapter 7: Ninjago City Tower**

A gentle, cool breezed caused a brunet teen to shiver and pull his grey sweatshirt closer to his body. The autumn sun was slowly rising in the grey sky as he walked deeper into Ninjago City. The streets were crowded with city dwellers bustling in the downtown section of the city. Car horns blared in the tight traffic; tall skyscrapers rose high in the sky, some disappearing in the morning fog.

These were many of the traits of Ninjago City.

Lucas had his hands stuffed into the pockets of his jeans as he traversed through the city, keeping them warm from the morning chill. His hazel grey eyes scanned around and found the building he was searching for. Once in a while it would be in his line of sight as he followed a path towards the destination, but sometimes he would lose sight of it and feel lost until he spotted it again. Lucas would even get the occasional shove or nudge from people who were rushing to work or shopping, but he didn't care. It wasn't his problem; he had other things to worry about.

A car horn sounded loudly, breaking the water ninja from his thoughts as he realized he was about to walk onto the road. He ignored the driver screaming at him as he shrugged it off and crossed the street. He wondered if the others were thinking about him, wondering where he went. All he'd done was sneaked away despite knowing that it would get him in trouble later, bur Lucas didn't care about the penalty. He'd experienced worse before.

A few minutes passed and the brunet stopped as he reached his destination. He gazed upward at the tallest building in the city and started to feel nostalgic. This building may have had a reputation for housing a company that founded the city, but it was also where he had died and where his cousins had told him they'd been cornered by an assassin while he was in a coma. Lucas sighed. The building had been through a lot, but now it might hold something that Lucas needed and he was determined to find it. The Ninja of Water gazed at the building plaza for a couple of minutes before making his way toward the entrance.

The building's lobby was smaller than Lucas had anticipated. A large, rustic aged clock hung above the main desk and the grey ninja raised a brow in the deserted lobby. The soft ticking echoed calmly. A couple of elevators stood next to the lobby desk, keypads situated on the left side of them. Seeing the devices made Lucas feel lost. He wasn't an employee. He didn't have access to get inside. He was stuck.

"Can I help you with something?" a voice greeted him.

Lucas turned his attention to the receptionist at the lobby desk and smiled. Her long, raven hair curled as it reached the shoulders of her yellow sweater, but he felt lost as he stared into her greenish-grey eyes. His words froze in his throat. Something snapped, waking his from his trance and he noticed the receptionist was snapping her fingers and holding up a clipboard. "Oh um. . ." Lucas stuttered as he met her at the desk. "I wish to see your supervisor. I believe he may know the Wu family."

* * *

"So here you are, a ninja protecting Ninjago, but also the apple of your grandfather's eye." An elderly man, with white hair, poured himself two mugs of coffee and then walked from the far side of the office to meet Lucas at his desk. The water ninja sat on one of the plush chairs across from the cherry wood desk as he watched the CEO handed him one of the coffees. He accepted. The man gave Lucas a warm smile before taking a seat at the corner of his desk. "So, tell me, to what do I owe the honor of meeting the heir to Tyrion Loa?" he asked as he sipped his drink.

Lucas stared at the mug of black liquid as he cautiously took a small sip of the hot beverage. He winced as it scalded his tongue and tasted bitter. He wasn't much of a coffee drinker, but he didn't want to be rude. "Well, Mr. Cho-"

"Please, call me Scott," the man interrupted.

Lucas smiled and nodded. "Well, Scott, there's really not much to it. I've always wanted to see this place as a kid. And here I am, finally in the company that my grandfathers created."

"Indeed you are," Scott agreed. "Your grandfather, both of them in fact, were both superb men. And, if I recall, it was because of them that your parents met." Lucas smiled since he knew the story, but the mention of his mother brought him some pain. The man noticed Lucas' reaction and sighed as he set his mug down. "Sorry," he said, "your mother was an amazing woman and the company is still sorry for your loss. I know it must be hard for you and your father."

A sigh escaped from Lucas as he took another sip of his coffee before setting it aside. "I thank you for that, for me and my dad," he said. "She may have been taken from me at a young age, but she's still in my heart."

A smile grew on the elder man's face as the grey ninja spoke, but he did wonder why Lucas had come without the other ninja. "Tell me then, what is that brought you here exactly?" he asked. "It seems odd for a ninja to be here."

Lucas was silent for a moment. Obviously he couldn't say that he wanted to use some of the stuff from his grandfather's company to find the Joker and stop the heists, especially in front of the CEO. "Well, I've been thinking of applying for a job here," he lied. "In case I ever retire from being a ninja."

Scott gave him a curious glance and then nodded. "All right," he said. "Where was it that you had in mind?"

"Well I was thinking of working in your bioengineering department."

"Fox's department. I'll let him know you're on your way."

* * *

"I'll tell you the same thing they told me when I started in this department," a soft, aged voice said as a pair of eyes gazed into a microscope. "Dead end. Welcome to what is known as the Archives."

Hazel grey eyes gazed around the large storage area of Ninjago City Tower. Crates, large and small, were stacked in many rows that surrounded him. Dust covered cloths were draped over many of the unknown items. The air felt stale and stuffy to the water ninja, who thought the room could use a better ventilation system. On the other hand, he was very enthusiastic now that he'd found the jackpot.

The brunet turned his attention back to the man with short, white-grey wiry hair and dark skin. The man smiled at him and leaned back in his seat. Lucas thought the man looked as old as the CEO. "Tell me, Mr. Wu," Fox wondered, "what brought you here in the first place? Seems odd for you to be here. Do you know anything about environmental procedures, defense projects, or consumer products?" He watched Lucas shake his head. "These are all prototypes, not in production. It's like I told you before: dead end."

Lucas thought over what Fox had said to him and started to feel the guilt clawing at him. He'd lied to the highest member of the company, but he felt as if this man could see through his lie. Maybe he should try to be honest. "Mr. Fox, I can't lie to you, even though I lied to your boss," he stated, calmly. "I'm here looking for something and I'm sure my grandfather's company may have it."

A soft, throaty chuckle came from the man and made Lucas nervous. He was probably going to be kicked out of the building for lying his way in. "An honest man's words finally speak the truth," he said, getting on his feet. "Let's see what may interest you then." Fox led the way. Lucas smiled and felt relieved as he followed the man.

"Your grandfather was a very optimistic when he and your father's father first started this company," Fox began as they walked. "A very bright and clever inventor as well. In fact, he's the one who hired me to be part of the board when the company formed."

"You knew my grandfathers?" Lucas asked.

"Oh yes. They were both powerful men during the rise of the city. Amazing how fast it all changed." Lucas couldn't help but smile as he listened. "When they both passed away, the company became a larger corporation than it was originally. Here is where I reside now, stored away like everything else. Ah, here we are."

The two stopped at a case and Fox unlocked the clips, opening it. Puzzled, the water ninja raised a brow as he stared at a small, bronze gun with a harness and belt. "This here is one of your grandfather's oldest and only inventions. Kevlar utility harness, gas powered magnetic grapple gun with a three-hundred pound test microfilament. Definitely something you'd see in a spy film, only his works very well." Fox closed the case and led the way again.

They traveled down a long corridor in the storage area until they came to a cabinet. "Now here is another thing your grandfather thought of, more geared toward security enforcers for riots and for the swat team," Fox continued, pulling open a drawer. Lucas studied a black suit that looked like armor. It covered the body everywhere but the head. "A lone mech suit for advanced infantry. Kevlar weaved with reinforced joints."

"Tear resistant?" the Ninja of Water wondered as he ran a hand over the armor. Tapping on the pectoral muscle gave a solid knock, which intrigued him.

"This sucker will stop a knife."

"Bullet proof?"

"Anything other than a straight shot. There are some weak spots."

"Why didn't they put it into production?"

"The company didn't think a soldier or officer's life was worth three hundred grand." Fox closed the drawer as the hissing sound of a magnetic lock took hold. He turned toward the brunet and leaned against the case. "So why are you interested in these items, Mr. Wu?"

The grey ninja stayed silent and took a deep breath. He had to say something. "I want to borrow it for. . . spelunking," he lied.

"Spelunking? Expecting to find a lot of gun fire in caves, Mr. Wu?"

A sigh came from the teen as he felt guilty and stupid for the answer he'd given. Spelunking? Even his brothers would look at him like he was an idiot. "Mr. Fox, if it isn't too much to ask, could you not let Mr. Cho know about me being down here-"

"Mr. Wu," Fox stopped him. "The way I see it, everything here is yours. After all, you're the heir to the company." He chuckled as he stared as the water ninja.

"Thank you, sir." Lucas sighed happily as he stared at the metal cabinet and nodded. First objective done; time for a new one to commence tonight. One step closer to finding Joker.


	9. Someone Like You

**Chapter 8: Someone Like You**

The lobby was crowded and loud with commotion. A man with blue eyes scanned the officers as they moved back and forth. He felt fatigued from his day, but he knew the night would be long as he continued his hunt for the bank robber. It was his duty, as commissioner, to keep the city safe. He'd taken an oath, just as the ninja had.

Gordon advanced toward the stairs and heard the noise of the station fade into quietness as he climbed to the fourth floor. He took a deep breath and enjoyed the silence as he came to his office and tried the door. Raising a brow, he tried the door again. He could've sworn he'd left it unlocked, but he shrugged and grabbed his keys, opening the door. Darkness surrounded the commissioner as he walked to his desk and dropped an envelope on it, taking a seat and turning on his lamp. No light came, and he scoffed as he started to walk to the outlet.

 _Click!_

The man felt something press against the back of his head and he gasped quietly, stiff. "Don't move or call for back up," a deep, malicious voice demanded. Gordon tried to glance over his shoulder and see his assailant, but the weapon pressed harder against his head. "I said don't move."

"Okay, just take it easy," said Gordon. He could feel his heart palpitating, his life at stake. Who was this person?

The assailant nodded to himself, glad that the commissioner was cooperating with him. Unbeknownst to Gordon the weapon against his head wasn't a gun, but a stapler. The illusion of danger was necessary. And the assailant was Lucas, dressed in the Kevlar suit he'd gotten from Fox, a black mask over his face. The grey ninja kept the stapler against the man's head and watched him carefully. Gordon couldn't flee. "Now I think we can come to an agreement," he said, his voice low and deep.

"What do you want?" the commissioner demanded. "Who are you? It's a dumb move to hold a cop at gun point at the police station."

"I prefer to think of it as a strategic move, to meet with you in private." Lucas noticed a movement of confusion and slowly eased the office item away from Gordon's head. "I've heard rumors of this mastermind behind the recent heists. Joker. Tell me, what do you know about him?"

Gordon, feeling disgruntled, tried to glance over his shoulder again, but the weapon was on his head once again. He didn't want to release confidential information, but he had a weapon trained on him. "I don't know how know about this guy. You shouldn't be interfering with police work," he scowled.

"Funny, you once said that you needed the ninja's help to find this guy," Lucas mused. Gordon raised a brow. How did this guy know about his request for the ninja's help? "They declined until you find more information. What exactly is this guy trying to achieve? More weapons? Chemicals? Or is it just for reputation?" Lucas glanced past the man and grabbed the file from his desk. He read about Joker, but it wasn't anything he didn't already know. "You don't know anything about him?"

"Like I said, you shouldn't be interfering. I don't know who you are or why you're here, but you have exactly one minute before I call for back up. I'll take the bullet if I have to."

"I just have one more thing to ask you. Does this guy have any ties or connection to anyone else that's considered dangerous?"

Gordon was silent for a moment, but then snorted. "I doubt it," he replied. "There's this known mobster, Sionis. He's considered dangerous and works in the city slums. Powerful and rich too. We've searched everywhere for this guy, but we can't find him. It's considered suicide if you try and stop him alone." Quietly and discretely, the commissioner reached for the gun strapped underneath his desk. He was ready to catch the assailant off guard.

Puzzled, the water ninja thought about the man's words. A mobster who was underground and had some control over the city in his own way. Yet, he sounded absolutely impossible to find. Suddenly, an idea came to the brunet. "You say you've searched the city, but have you searched outside of the city? Like, in the shipyards at the port? Or in any of the warehouses?"

Gordon's hand moved away from the weapon as he pondered. It'd never occurred to him to search outside of the city's perimeter. There _had_ been claims of disruptions at the shipyards, but the reports said it was false information. "Well, we've sent officers to the shipyards to investigate some complaints," he admitted. "They returned empty handed. It's not likely that Sionis is there or connected to Joker."

"Unless they did find clues about his whereabouts, but aren't saying so," Lucas stated.  
Think about it. Sionis has money, and possible control of the shipyard. Your people would investigate, but hide the information from you. Maybe they're being bribed. You could have dirty cops on your hands, Jim."

The man felt lost. His assailant could actually be right about his men. And it would be under his nose without him even realizing it. Thy mystery man was talking like he was. . . a detective. "Who are you?" he demanded.

Smirking, Lucas tossed the stapler onto the desk and slowly stepped back. He had a lead now. "Someone like you," he replied, climbing through the open window and escaped.

Gordon stared at the stapler thrown across his desk as realization dawned on him. "Hey," he cried, drawing his gun and running out of his office.

Concealed in the darkness, Lucas quickly climbed up to the rooftop. Suddenly, his muscles became sore and heavy as he took some staggered breaths. He'd been fine before, but now he had a hard time moving, like his armor was weighing him down. After a minute had passed, the grey ninja had caught his breath.

The roof access door flew open abruptly. Lucas snapped his head around and watched Gordon pile out with two other officers, all armed. Without hesitating, the brunet turned and fled, the police tailing him. They shouted for him to halt, but Lucas ignored them. His armor was beginning to feel heavy again. The water ninja saw that he was running out of tarred roof and noticed another building across a wide alley. It was his only option for escape. Pushing himself to run harder, Lucas jumped.

He felt himself fly across the wide alley, keeping his eyes trained on the railing of the fire escape. His chest made contact with the metal railing, knocking the air from his lungs. Lucas winced as he hung above the ground. Something began to break loudly and he grasped the metal tightly as the fire escape's screws broke loose. In one swift motion, he flipped up and climbed to the roof, continuing to run as far away as he could.

Gordon watched his masked assailant escape and scoffed, placing his gun back in his holster. Being held hostage was one thing, but allowing someone to escape from custody was something he wouldn't stand for. He wondered if he'd see the man again. "Who was that, commissioner?" one of the officers asked.

"Just some punk," Gordon replied.

* * *

Lucas collapsed against a ledge and breathed deeply to try and calm his nerves. He pulled his black mask off and stretched his sore body. The cool breeze felt good on his face, but his armor felt heavier than usual. All of his stamina had been drained from his body. He wondered if there was any lighter armor at his grandfather's company that he could use, or maybe a weapon that would help him safely cross to far ledges. He'd have to visit Fox tomorrow and find out. But all and all, he now had a lead to finding Joker and stop the heists.


	10. Why Bats?

**Chapter 9: Why Bats?**

Soft footfall echoed in the large storage area of Ninjago City Tower. A man looked up from his computer terminal and glanced over his shoulder to see who his guest was. A cheeky smile grew on his lips as he watched Lucas pull a suitcase behind him, no doubt containing the armor he'd _borrowed_ from the company. Lucas gave a shy smile as he stared at the man, embarrassed.

"Well, well, what can I do for you this time?" Fox asked as he turned in his seat. Lucas met the man at his desk and struggled to life the heavy case onto the metal table. Fox raised a grey brow as he opened the case and saw the armor stuffed inside. "Guessing the spelunking is already over with?"

"The armor was too heavy to do any endurance activities," Lucas stated. "I was too tired after doing some climbing." He glanced at Fox's nonchalant gaze, fearing a lecture. He'd come too far to stop lying now. "So, I'm wondering if you have any lighter armor, for mobility. And maybe something for base jumping."

"Base jumping?" Fox inquired.

"If that's alright. So do you have any lightweight fabrics?"

A sly smile grew on Fox's face at the brunet's request. "You know, I might have just the thing," he said, leading the way.

The two walked down the empty corridors in silence until they stopped at a table surrounded by crates. The Ninja of Water watching with curiosity as Fox grabbed a metal suitcase and placed it on the table top. "Now, I think you'll like this," he continued as he unlocked the case and pulled out a pile of fabric. Puzzled, Lucas rubbed his hand over the velvet-like fabric. "It's called membrane cloth. Looks standard, yes, but when you run a current through it. . ." Lucas watched as Fox slipped on a black glove, the fingertips sparking a purple color. Fox placed his hand on the fabric and it expanded and became stiff. The brunet blinked. "The molecules realign themselves, making it safer for you to glide."

Intrigued, the grey ninja placed his hand on the stiff fabric and tried to press on it, test the durability. It seemed to hold well. "What kind of shapes can you make?" he asked.

"It can be formed into any shape or size as long as it has a rigid skeleton." Fox removed his gloved hand from the cloth and the fabric collapsed once more. "Now for the lightweight armor," he continued. "It's actually over here."

Fox led the way to another cabinet and pulled open a drawer. Lucas reached in and pulled out a dark grey piece of armor. "Hardened Kevlar plates over titanium dipped tri-weave wire mesh, for flexibility. You'll be lighter, faster, and more agile." The Ninja of Water pressed something underneath the armor and six symmetrical, angular fins sprouted and fired. They sailed through the air like shurikens, piercing the filing cabinet. "Perhaps you should read the instructions first."

"Yeah," the brunet agreed, placing the plate back into its resting form.

"Now you'll have better mobility and flexibility," Fox continued. "You're more likely to have vulnerability to knives at certain weak points, but that shouldn't be a problem for the million dollar heir while spelunking."

Lucas smiled sheepishly. All of these excellent items had been made by his grandfather's company and they were just what he needed, but he felt awful about lying. "Look, Mr. Fox," he began, "if you're uncomfortable about showing me this-"

"Mr. Wu," Fox stopped him, "I may not know what your exact intentions are for needing this equipment, but don't assume I'm an idiot. I'm helping you because I want to."

A smile came to the brunet's face. "Fair enough," Lucas said as he fished something out of his pocket. "Well then, think you'd want to help me with this?" He handed Fox a piece of paper.

Fox reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a pair of reading glasses. He unfolded and studied the paper carefully before glancing at Lucas. "Interesting. . . cowl design," he noted. "Looks easy to create. I can make it fit your face well and give you mobility to turn your head."

"It would make observing and glancing over my shoulder better," Lucas added.

Fox chuckled. "A 3-D printer with hardened graphite should help with that."

"Excellent!" The grey ninja looked past Fox and spotted something. It was covered by a dusty cloth, but a tire and twin pipes stuck out of the sides. "What's that?"

Fox turned to see what had piqued his interest. "Oh, the Gyro-Pod?" he replied. "Probably nothing you'd be interested in." He smiled as Lucas smirked.

* * *

The electric bike whined as it accelerated, two tires screeched on the cement. A large smile was plastered on Lucas' face as he sped across the large hanger underneath the building. His arms rested in the sheaths that acted as the bike's handlebars. When he moved, he steered. The Gyro-Pod was sleek, compact with twin cannons along the front tire. He wished he could enjoy the breeze as he drove, but Fox had made him wear a helmet. Regardless, he was having fun.

"You seem to know how to use a motorcycle well, Mr. Wu." Fox's voice rang through an ear piece in his helmet. "It's as if you've ridden one before. What's your secret?"

Lucas chuckled. He'd learned how to drive a bike a long time ago. "A while back I had something like a motorbike that came from my golden weapons," he replied, feeling nostalgic about his old sai's. "Later they changed into a land rover, but I still remember the feel of the bike. Feels great."

Fox smiled as he watched the grey ninja drive past the table he was stationed at, monitoring him. It felt good to know he was enjoying the bike. His brown eyes drifted away from the teen towards a computer monitor that displayed a live feed of the printer working on the graphite shell of the cowl Lucas had requested. It was halfway finished. Deep down, Fox knew exactly what the Ninja of Water was doing with the equipment, but he'd rather not say anything.

"She was built to be a Special Forces bike, for escorts and front line defense," Fox said. "The wheels are gyroscopic and help with tight turns in case of combat, evasive maneuvers. The twins cannons fire artillery rounds and tow cables. In your right arm slot is a throttle and in your left arm slot is the handle to fire the cannons. Your fingers can switch from the rounds to the cables. When you brake you'll activate the gyroscope in the wheels."

Nodding, the grey ninja felt for the brake handle and wrapped his fingers around it. He took a deep breath and shook away his nerves as he squeezed the brakes. The tires screeched to a sudden halt and he leaned his body to help with the turning. Lucas felt himself begin to spin. Not only was he turning in a one hundred degree angle, but the two wheels were rotating on the side of the bike. He faced the opposite direction now, tires screeching against the concrete again, as he continued to drive forward. What the bike could do was thrilling.

"Simple enough, right?" Fox smiled. "Unfortunately we had to discontinue the bike because many law enforcers were vulnerable and weren't being trained quick enough to drive them."

"Sounds awful," Lucas exclaimed, trying the gyroscopic wheels again.

"You wouldn't believe the lawsuits we had." Fox shook his thoughts away. "Another feature is that you can lower your body to gain extra acceleration."

Intrigued, the brunet lowered his arms and felt his seat, his body, lower towards the ground. Lucas heard the engine whine loudly and felt his speed increase. A large smile grew on his face as he felt the wind glide across his back, driving straight for a wall. "Mr. Wu, please slow down," Fox's voice advised him through the earpiece, but Lucas ignored him. "Slow down! Slow down!" Lucas drove past the man, reducing his speed as he got closer to the wall, but his front wheel climbed along the wall and he spun around, landing the bike back on the ground and killing the engine. Fox walked over to him as he took off his helmet. "So, what do you think?"

Lucas' smile remained on his face as he stared at the camouflage bike. "Does it come in black?" he asked.

* * *

The lights flickered above Lucas as he placed the utility harness in front of him on the table. He glanced at the Kevlar straps that were attached to the belt and shook his head. He didn't need those. With a pair of scissors, Lucas snipped the straps until he had a normal belt. Maybe he'd have consequences for cutting off the harness later, but it looked much better than it had before.

Sparks flew from the granite stone grinder as the grey ninja held the edge of a metal object against it. His brows were furrowed as he concentrated, evenly sharpening the object. Lucas stopped and gazed at the small, hand-made shurikens with symmetrical sides: shaped like wings. A bat. Fox walked over to the tool bench and picked up one of the shurikens, studying it. "Why bats, Mr. Wu?" he asked.

Lucas stopped the grinder and gazed at his work, moving it between his fingers. "In the ancient times of Ninjago, bats were considered bad luck. Evil. Bringers of fear," he said, recalling the tales his father had told him when he was a boy. Fox kept his brow raised. "Fear is something that everyone had. It's time I use it as an advantage." He quickly turned in his seat and threw the shuriken. It sailed across the room and stuck itself in a wooden post.


	11. I'm Batman

**Chapter 10: I'm Batman**

The sounds of water crashing against the concrete barriers spread through the port. The smell of salt water wafted around the area and cargo containers were stacked in high towers, bathed in the low, orange glow of the shipyard lights. All seemed calm and quiet, but even the quietest spots can hold the shadiest people.

In the farthest shipyard of the port stood a small group of armed men, slouched around wooden crates. Some spoke with others and other murmured to themselves. Others checked the crates' contents. Many of the crates contained weapons more powerful than the ones they were holding. They'd received a great shipment from their contractor. Before they could celebrate, their ears picked up on the sound of a vehicle approaching, but they relaxed when they recognized the black car pulling up.

The brakes softly screeched to a halt and the rear door opened, a man in a white striped suit stepped out and straightened himself up before he marched over to the group of armed men. They lowered their guns as they watched their boss inspect the crates. He smirked with bliss. "Excellent choices from the head honcho himself," Sionis said as he turned to his men. "Get these secured and ready to be dropped off to Joker. Three of you take a quick walk and shoot on sight if you find any. . . spectators." Sionis saw them nod as he walked back to sit in the car.

* * *

The towering shipping crates surrounded the three men as they walked through the aisles as a pack. Everything around them was quiet as they scanned for anyone, especially the ninja, but they knew if they ran into any cops it would be easy to bribe them.

The three stopped as a metal door groaned and swung open. They armed their guns and searched around for the source of the sound. As they turned a corner, they saw one of the shipping crate's door was ajar. Though their hearts were racing, they knew they shouldn't be afraid. They needed to confront the issue, not let fear consume them. One of them slowly took the lead, opened the door more as the others followed behind him, guns raised and ready. It was empty inside. The leader took a deep breath and turned to leave.

Something grabbed him from behind and dragged him into the darkness.

The remaining two quickly aimed their guns as they watched their partner disappear in front of their eyes. Hearts raced in the quiet. One of the men shook in fear. The container had been empty, they'd seen it, yet something had pulled a man inside. "Craig?" one of them asked, but he didn't hear a response. "Craig?"

There was a loud ruckus and both men stiffened up. The loud noise ended and the leader was thrown out of the container, landed at their feet, unconscious. The other two dropped and checked on him. He was breathing. They jumped as they heard glass shatter and something strike the lights above them. Everything became darker. One of the men saw something on the ground and picked it up: a piece of metal shaped like a bat. He turned and noticed his partner looking up. "What?" he asked, glancing towards the ceiling and feeling his jaw drop.

Something hung upside down, its wings wide as it swooped towards them.

* * *

Sionis jerked his head to the sound of screams and stepped out of his car. What had caused it? A cop wouldn't scare his men like that. It had to be something else. Sionis glanced at his other minions. "Well. . . go on, see what happened," he demanded. They all looked nervous. "Did I stutter? Go, now!"

* * *

One of the men escape from the dark entity. He kept running, fearing that the thing was behind him. His heart beat harshly against his ribcage and his skin was as pale as a sheet of paper. That thing had taken out his other two teammates, and now it was after him. He had to try and hide.

He came to a halt at a fork in the road, but he didn't know which way he should run. Something behind him made him turn on his heels, gun raised. His eyes scanned around for the thing and he caught a glimpse of something black. He squeezed the trigger and fired the gun towards the figure. Everything quieted down. "Where are you!?" the man screamed, mustering up some courage.

"Here," a deep voice said. The man turned his head and saw the thing hanging behind him.

* * *

Sionis heard gunfire. He stood by his car and watched as his men disappeared into the large warehouse. Out of curiosity, he decided to follow them, entering the building opposite of where the others had entered. Maybe he'd find whoever was terrorizing his workers.

* * *

The group stood close to one another as they ventured in, nervous. They'd lost three of their people to whatever had been in here with them. With such a large group they'd be able to cover more ground.

A loud thud sounded by the group and they stopped in their tracks out of fear. They couldn't comprehend what was happening. All they kept seeing were flashed of black. Some of them were struck unconscious; others were lucky enough to land a few blows to their unknown assailant, but whatever it was it was tough to kill.

What was this thing?

* * *

The sound of screams and grunts drew Sionis' attention and he carefully crept towards the source. His heart raced as the sounds grew closer and he peeked around the corner. His eyes went wide as he watched a black figure, surrounded by his men, fight. As the last of his men dropped, Sionis' breath hitched and the figure turned its attention towards him. Sionis turned and ran.

The room was a maze as he tried to run from the thing. Crates surrounded him, blocking his path into twists and turns. Sinois looked over his shoulder to see if he was being followed, but he couldn't see anything. His heart jumped with relief when he spotted his car ahead, pushing himself harder. He barged in and slammed the door shut as he locked it. "Drive! Drive!" he shouted.

Silence surrounded the man and his breath quivered as the driver didn't respond. Sionis inspected the driver and he saw his head slumped over the wheel, still breathing. He was trapped like a caged animal, lost and puzzled on a way to escape his predator. In an attempt to protect himself, Sionis reached underneath his seat and pulled out a double barrel shotgun. His heart was racing, sweat forming on his forehead, muscles tensed as he felt the car rock. "What the hell are you?"

A shower of glass caught the man off guard as something broke the sun roof. Sionis dropped his weapon and immediately felt something grab his jacket and wretch him out of the car. He was now face to face with his assailant. A black mask with pointed ends protruding from the top of his head and a sharp nose. The only things Sionis could see were his eyes and mouth. "I'm Batman," the figure said with a deep, dark voice. He slammed his head against Sionis' and watched the man fall unsconsious. Suddenly a random man emerged from the containers and froze in fear. "Tell the others what you saw," Batman said, flying upward with Sionis and disappearing.

The stranger finally came to his senses and ran.

* * *

Red and blue lights engulfed the area as a man walked past. His gaze shifted around the empty shipyard. He'd received an anonymous call about armed men. It seemed odd as he watched paramedics swarm towards the bodies around him. There was an empty car that appeared to have been broken into. The commissioner was at a loss. What had happened? "What we got, Captain?" he asked.

A burly man next to Gordon gazed at his notepad. "Well, we've got a few things here," he began. "We've ten men out cold, crates full of weapons that are being sent to HQ as we speak, and a driver with a concussion that claims he doesn't remember anything. To top it all off, these men are under orders from Sionis."

Sionis? That name surprised him. A notorious man with connections in the city; he'd had a hideout after all. "Do we have a lead on him?" Gordon asked.

"Well here's the thing," the captain continued, pointing. "He's over there."

Puzzled, Gordon turned and saw a group of officers where the captain had pointed. They surrounded a search light. He calmly rushed over and his eyes widened at the sight. Sionis' arms were stretched and chained to the bright light, his suit torn, strips of cloth hanging down. Gordon followed the light to the sky and saw a shadowy image appear in the night clouds. A bird? "Cut him down," Gordon ordered, turning the light off.

* * *

Sirens blared in the distance of Ninjago City. Darkness surrounded the city while light existed within, but in the darkest section of the city stood a figure, watching over everything below him. His mind was calm despite what had transpired earlier. He hoped for a better cause, but he knew this was his job now.

Lucas' job as the Batman.


	12. Unknown Vigilante

**Chapter 11: Unknown Vigilante**

"Police are baffled by the recent occurrence and arrest at the Ninjago shipyards," said Vicki Vale. In the den of the Destiny's Bounty, the ninja were gathered around the television, still tired from waking up. However, one wasn't with the team: the grey ninja was still asleep. Since they'd all woken up before the alarm, the team had nothing better to do than watch the news, or cartoons if Lloyd had gotten to the remote first.

"Last night Roman Sionis, one of Ninjago's notorious criminals, was apprehended at the port along with ten crew mates," the photojournalist continued. "Reports say crates of weapons were stowed in the shipyards. When police arrived on the scene, Sionis and his crew had already been apprehended by an unknown figure. No evidence was left behind. Was it the ninja, or perhaps a vigilante? Could this be the possible lead that police have been looking for regarding the recent heists? I'm Vicki Vale, covering for Gayle Gossip, and this is the six o'clock news."

Everyone was silent as the news report ended. Even in their tired state they were surprised by what they'd heard. A single person had taken out multiple people and they'd had nothing to do with it. "Can I have the remote now?" Lloyd begged. "I want to watch cartoons before training. Plus there's a new episode of Starfarer that I don't want to miss. Please?"

Without answering, Cole simply tossed the remote to the green ninja and heard him chirp with joy. The black ninja wondered about what the reporter had said. They hadn't left last night. "Everyone was here, right?" Cole asked. "Like, no one left or anything."

"Logically, yes," Zane replied from his lotus position as he meditated. "We were present last night. My sixth sense would have alerted me if anyone had left the Bounty."

"So, what are we all thinking here?" said Jay.

"I am thinking that there is a new person in Ninjago City," the ice ninja continued. "One that single handedly took out those criminals. A vigilante, like Vicki said." He heard a hush come from Lloyd, but he ignored him. "I believe we have a new guest who thinks he or she can take the law into their own hands."

"Don't we do exactly the same thing?" Laurie stated. Her eyes drifted towards the television, intrigued by her brother's show. She couldn't help but feel nostalgic, remembering watching cartoons with Lloyd when she was younger. "When you think about it we do everything ourselves, even if we do help the police."

Nodding, the nindroid agreed. "Technically speaking, yes," he said. "However, we deal with odd phenomena, such as Serpentine. We deal in the supernatural with our Spinjitzu abilities. Now this person is using dangerous tactics. The police do not know, but maybe this person is dangerous too."

"What do you suggest we do?" Kai asked. Before the spiky haired brunet could get an answer, the ninja heard loud shuffling in the hallway and they watched the water ninja stumble into the room. His shaggy hair was a mess, tiredness clouded his hazel grey eyes. He looked like he'd risen from the dead. A smirk formed on the red ninja's face. "I suggest a cup of coffee and a shower for Lucas. He looks even worse in the morning."

A groan escaped from Lucas as he rubbed his eyes to wake up more. He felt sore and exhausted from lack of sleep, a toll he had to pay for his nightly routine. "Oh bite me," he grumbled. "I've seen you look worse before. Plus I had a rough night trying to sleep, okay? We all get those moments in life." He walked over to a bean bag chair and collapsed on it. "I wouldn't mind the coffee though."

"What happened, man?" Jay asked.

"Just had a rough night, nothing else. What's today's plan? Anything new on T.V?"

"Well, last night someone took out a mob boss," Cole said. "Police think he's linked to the bank heists."

Pretending to be intrigued, the water ninja raised a scarred brow. "Really?" he asked, as if he didn't already know. "So we got a vigilante helping the police? Maybe he can find this Joker guy since we're not doing it."

The Ninja of Ice turned to his elemental brother. Lucas didn't sound intrigued at all. He sounded blatant. "Perhaps you do not understand," Zane said. "This person single handedly took out a group and their boss last night. For all we know he could be armed and dangerous. Now we are trying to think of a solution regarding this newcomer."

The room was quiet except for the noise coming from the television. Everyone was thinking, but they all drew a blank. "Well, there's one thing we can do," the lightning ninja said, directing his head towards Nya. "When our thunder was being stolen by the mysterious samurai, we had that competition: whoever unmasked the samurai would be the Green Ninja. Of course, in the end, we never unmasked her."

"So. . .what are you saying?" Nya wondered.

"What your brother is saying is to follow an old saying of mine," said a wise voice. The teens turned their heads to see their sensei in the doorway. He took a sip from a cup of tea in his hand. "The best way to defeat your enemy is to turn them into your friend. Do not think of this new guest as an enemy. Welcome him and learn his ways. Then you can determine if he's a dangerous foe or not." Wu didn't wait to hear their responses as he turned and walked away.

Everyone only blinked as the elder left, glancing at one another. Jay was right. Judging the unknown figure early seemed bad, especially without observing him. "So. . . he's saying that we befriend him?" Laurie inquired.

"Sort of," Cole replied. "Sensei's told us this before. If he wants us to know this guy then. . . yeah."

"And how do we find this guy?" Laurie asked. "It's not like we have his phone number."

"Same way we went after Nya," Jay chirped. "We race to the problem before he arrives and then meet him."

Lucas averted his gaze from the group. If his family wanted to meet his other persona, he'd have to think of a way to conceal his identity. For now he'd just have to avoid meeting up with them.

* * *

A grumble came out of a man's throat as he paced his way through an empty warehouse. The fact that production of his trading and heists had been halted was the last of his concern. He was annoyed because someone had placed his second-in-command in jail. He wanted to know everything about this unknown assailant, but his employees had assured him that someone had information about what had happened. He made haste to meet with his men on the upper floors.

The green haired man threw open the doors and entered the large room filled with employees. He could see the concern in their eyes and faces. He was angry, but he collected himself and straightened his coat. "Gentlemen, gentlemen, please take a seat or stand if you prefer," he said sincerely. He watched them remain in their spots and nod. "Well then, this meeting has begun. Can anyone explain why we're here?"

"Is it because of Sionis?" one asked.

A smile appeared on the man's face as he gave a slow clap. "Indeed, indeed," he said. "Give this man a round of applause." The room was quiet as some of the employees gave awkward claps. Joker raised his hand and silenced them. "Yes, this is about one of our brothers in arms and the unknown cop who stopped our weapons deal. Where's that survivor?"

"In the next room," another man replied. "He's still shaken about last night."

"Well, bring him in. I want to meet him." Joker watched two men exit the room and return with a scrawny man between them. He could see that the man's skin was pale, his black hair matted with sweat as he shook. The two burly men dragged the scared man to Joker and dropped him to his knees. Joker knelt and placed his hand on the man's shoulder. The man jumped to his touch. "It's alright, it's alright," Joker said, trying to calm him. "Now tell me, what happened to my weapons?"

His lips quivered as he stared at Joker's bright green eyes. He said soft, quiet words and Joker leaned closer to him. The man gulped. "W-We were wrapping up with the cache," he bean. "The boss-"

"Remember, I'm the boss. Not Sionis," Joker interrupted. "They don't call me Joker for nothing, got it?" Joker watched the man nod. "Continue."

The man took a shaky breath, his heart pounding. The events were still fresh in his mind. "He sent three of us on patrol in case cops were around, but then we all heard a scream and headed towards it. There was gun fire and more screams. Something quick and black was taking everyone out. I-I recovered and ran away, but I caught a glimpse of the thing that had Sionis." This intrigued Joker and he leaned closer. "H-He was in black. . . armor, with a cape and some symbol on his chest. He wore a mask with these. . . antennae on his head. He had a name."

"What was it?"

"Ba-Ba. . . Batman."

The room was silent for a long time, until it was broken by the sound of a chuckle. The green haired man laughed. A man took his men out all on his own. It was too good to believe. "That is just too rich. A man playing dress up as a rodent takes out my men. That's too good. Come on, this deserves a laugh. Laugh!" The entire room filled with awkward laughter. Joker stopped and pulled a gun from his coat, firing it at the ceiling. The room fell dead silent. "I am not amused. Not one bit. A person has taken out my men. I want this guy here and now!"

"How exactly?" a stocky man asked.

"It's easy to explain," Joker mused, setting his weapon on the table. The crew looked at him, unsure of his explanation. "It's simple, really. We've got to find this guy, invite him for tea and crumpets. And then we do the ultimate thing. We kill the Bat. It's as simple as that, but first, I want Sionis."


	13. The Pen is Mightier than the Sword

**Chapter 12: The Pen is Mightier than the Sword**

"Come on, Lucas," the boy chirped. "I don't want to miss out on the new comic book at Doomsday. Plus it's Quiz Day, and I don't want to miss that too."

Lucas rolled his hazel grey eyes as he smiled at his cousin's excitement. Sure, he would take the blame for lagging behind the boy in green because tiredness still clung to him. Though he had a reason for the fatigued look: he'd spent another night at Batman, trying to hunt for Joker, but he'd turned up empty handed on any leads. Finding this guy was going to be tougher than he'd anticipated. Lucas hoped the guy he'd caught the other night would give out information about Joker. The grey ninja pulled himself away from his thoughts and caught up to his cousin. "I'm coming, Shrimp," he retorted. "Can't rush me. I'm getting old here."

"Yeah right," Lloyd said. "No way you're getting old like Uncle, but come on, let's hurry so I don't miss out on the good stuff at the store." He raced ahead a few feet and turned to his cousin, motioning him to follow. "Come on!"

"At least stay by my side so I don't lose you," the brunet chastised. "Remember, I'm babysitting you since you're still grounded and the others are out patrolling. If you want that comic and to beat your friends on the quiz matches, you'll stay with me. Otherwise we'll turn back and you'll stay in our room without any sweets. You'll be stuck with the comic book you've already read. It's your call." Lucas heard his cousin pout as he caught up with him, then they both began to walk together down the busy streets of Ninjago City. Lloyd was grounded; it didn't mean he could run off on his own. The green ninja had to know responsibility toward himself and others.

The streets were full of the many people that inhabited the city. Whether it was the residents, workers, or even tourists, Ninjago City was always busy. It was the largest city in the land. With the crowded streets and sidewalks in the afternoon, Lloyd couldn't help but grab Lucas' hand. It made him feel a bit safer. A chuckled escaped from the water ninja's throat as he ruffled Lloyd's blond hair with his free hand. "Nervous about the quiz game?" he asked, worried about Lloyd. "You look like it."

"What? No!" Lloyd snapped, drawing back his hand. He crossed his arms tightly over his chest and looked away from Lucas. "I'll have you know that I'm ranked number two in the Commander Class of the Starfarer Club at Doomsday. So I'm not nervous at all."

Lucas smiled at his youngest cousin's confidence. Why had he grabbed his hand then? "Really? Then who's ranked one and three?" he inquired.

Lloyd glanced over his shoulder and saw Lucas' cocky smile. "These two guys around my age named Logan Cooper and Faolan Bond." A smile played on his lips. "Good friends though. And if I do well in this tournament, I might rank up to be in the next class of the club. I've got this in the bag."

"I'm sure you'll do fine. After all, you got your sister hooked on Starfarer and you read them non-stop. I have faith in you, Shrimp."

The walk to the comic book store became tiring and boring as the two ninja weaved their way through the crowded streets. They had both learned the pathways to Doomsday, but with the city being so busy, it had become almost impossible to get to their destination. Lucas kept glancing around to ensure they didn't miss their way to the store, keeping Lloyd close to him. If the green ninja happened to get lost, he was vulnerable to being captured by any Serpentine lurking around the city. It wouldn't be the first time it happened. They were close to the store. When they got there they could stay out of the craziness until the crowds calmed down.

After walking a few more blocks, the blond and brunet found themselves in front of City Hall, but Lucas stopped as something caught his attention. A man in a striped white suit walked down the stairs outside the building, an officer beside him. With a sincere hand shake, the officer turned and left Sionis, the man Lucas had captured the other night, alone. Lucas' hazel grey eyes narrowed as they bore into the man, knowing he should still be in police custody and not a free man. With Sionis free, Lucas wouldn't get any new information on Joker. He clenched his fist and took a step forward, but felt the sleeve of his sweatshirt get tugged back. "Uh. . . Lucas," he heard Lloyd say. "What's going on?"

Lucas glanced at Lloyd for a moment before directing his eyes toward an unusual event. The streets grew silent as many men in black and white clothing and makeup started performing a series of invisible stunts. Mimes. The Ninja of Water raised a scarred brow and shrugged. There were cheers and claps from the spectators watching the show being performed, some even took pictures with the mimes, but then the mimes directed their attention toward the man on the City Hall stairs. They surrounded him as one pushed a large, wrapped present towards the base of the stairs.

The box rattled and the top flipped open. Streamers and confetti flew out and a man in mime attire jumped out. The spectators applauded. "Welcome, Ninjago City, to the greatest show you'll see! Courtesy of my team and I," a ringleader announced as the audience applauded, Lucas and Lloyd included. "Now I have a message for the birthday boy, and I believe I've found him." The ringleader ascended the stairs and stood directly in front of the man in the white striped suit. "Is your name Roman Sionis?"

A lump formed in Sionis' throat as he glanced at the men surrounding him. He nodded. It made him nervous as he recognized the ringleader, wondering why he was out in broad daylight. "N-Nice to see you out here," Sionis stammered. "I never thought you'd come see me."

A sly smile played on the ringleader's lips as he stared at Sionis, playing with a pen in his hand. "Well of course," he said. "I had to see my number one partner, especially after getting arrested by the police and all. It really had me worried." He grabbed Sionis' tie and pulled him closer. "Not to mention I worried I was that you might have spoken out."

The lump grew in Sionis' throat and he had trouble swallowing. He could feel cold sweat forming on his forehead. "Don't worry about it," he said quietly. "I didn't say a word; threw them off so they wouldn't find you. I posted bail so they won't bother us for some time."

"But how can I be sure that something didn't slip from that tongue of yours?" Joker asked. A large sinister grin formed on his face as he narrowed his gaze. Sionis felt terrified, glancing at the pen Joker played with. "Remember what I said about cracked eggs to make an omelet?" Sionis' eyes went wide with realization, but before he could scream he felt the pen pierce underneath his chin. Blood pooled in his throat as he tried to speak and breathe. He collapsed and gurgled on the stairs. Some of the spectators screamed and Lucas pulled his cousin closer to him, covering his eyes.

A fit of laughter broke from the man who committed the murder as he stared down at the limp body. He spun on his heels and faced the crowd. Everyone present stood in fear of the ringleader. "What do you know, Ninjago City," he mused, "the pen is truly mightier than the sword!" The other mimes raced to the present at the base of the stairs and pulled out guns, firing them upwards into the sky. The crowd fled. Lucas grabbed Lloyd and ran from the scene, ducking into an alley and taking cover behind a dumpster. The gunfire ceased and Joker glanced around at the deserted streets. "Batman! You're watching this, I know you are. Take heed of who I am: The Prince of Crime. I'd love to meet you, but be warned, no one messes with my business." He heard police sirens and fled from the crime scene.

In the alley, the grey ninja carefully peeked from his cover. He dared not move because he wasn't sure if one of the mimes would enter with a gun. As time slowly passed, Lucas was sure that no one was coming. He sighed, unable to believe what he and Lloyd had witnessed: a murder in broad daylight caused by the man he'd been searching for, the runner of the heists, Joker. The water ninja waited for a few more minutes and slumped against the brick wall, pulling Lloyd closer to him. "We're good now, Shrimp," he said, patting Lloyd's shoulder.

The green ninja was silent and stayed close to Lucas. The event he'd just seen was burned into his mind and he tried to swallow despite his dry throat. It had been a death more gruesome than Lucas' death, before he'd come back, but close to the death of his friend Rhea. She'd died in his arms. Lloyd turned to face the grey ninja, staring at his hazel grey eyes. "Yeah. . . I'm glad," he said. "Lucas, who's Batman? Is he the one who fought those people at the docks?"

Lucas looked at his cousin and shrugged his shoulders. For his own safety, he couldn't reveal that _he was_ Batman. "I'm not sure," he replied, "but he could have been."

"You think he's going to take these people down?"

"I'm sure he will." The Ninja of Water pulled himself up and helped Lloyd to his feet. "You want to head home after that?" he wondered. "Or we can still go to the comic book store if you want, save the universe. Your call." He watched as Lloyd's face lit up with a large smile, communicating his answer without words. Lucas took Lloyd's hand as they walked out of the other side of the alley, avoiding the crime scene. Joker would have to wait another night to meet Batman; Lucas had other plans tonight.


	14. Party Crasher

**Chapter 13: Party Crasher**

Violins played softly in a chorus that echoed throughout the large condominium complex. People filled the area, dressed formally as they mingled with one another. Inside, the complex had a warm glow from the chandeliers high above, against the dark sky of Ninjago outside the high windows. It was a beautiful night to spend in the city for those who were invited.

Chocolate brown eyes glanced around quickly. A teen with spiky brunet hair wore a tuxedo with a red vest. Kai felt nervous being in the same room with all of these people. Glancing over his shoulder he could see his friends, sister, and girlfriend looking just as uncomfortable and lost as him. They too were dressed formally in their trademark colors, but when Kai looked at Lucas and Sensei Wu, he noticed that they were calm and engaged in conversations with other guests. He sighed and turned toward his friends. "Exactly what are we doing here again?" Kai asked. "This feels odd. Plus I'm not so sure I'm liking this bow tie over the regular tie."

They all looked at each other and nodded. It was odd being at an elegant party. They hadn't been to one since they were honored for defeating the Great Devourer by the city. However, this time it was only Lucas and Sensei Wu being honored. "It's as Lucas said before, Kai," Zane answered. "It turns out that he is the heir to Ninjago City Tower. This party is to celebrate his return, the grandson of the First Spinjitzu Master."

"We get that," Jay said, "but why didn't Lucas tell us before? That's what makes this odd."

"Maybe it's because it was best to keep it a secret from us," Cole replied. "It probably didn't matter to Lucas because he cares more about being a Spinjitzu Master. If Sensei had known he would have kept it a secret too because it isn't his job to run a company, but to be our teacher."

Lloyd looked back and forth at everyone as they passed the conversation to one another. In reality he didn't care about the party, it was boring to him, probably because he hated wearing a tuxedo. He picked Lucas out of the moving crowd. Lucas had always been one for surprises, but hearing that he was the heir to Ninjago City Tower was a big one. It was almost like a comic he'd read about a hero finding out he was the heir to a kingdom. Of course, in the comic the hero's sibling had been a prisoner of the cruel leader since he was also an heir. It got Lloyd thinking. "So wait," he spoke up, "if Lucas is the heir, does that make me and Laurie heirs too?"

"Well," Laurie said, "not exactly. Imagine this: on top of our family tree is the First Spinjitzu Master, our grandfather. Below him are our father and Uncle. Then there's another tree, another grandfather, but he's only Lucas' grandfather. Then it climbs down to Lucas' mother and then himself while we're on the other side with our own mother. Based on family lineage we're not heirs to his grandfather's company." The wind ninja watched her brother's smile disappear. She probably ruined his night. "Don't worry. I'm sure Lucas would much rather be a ninja than run a company." Laurie chuckled as she watched a smile form on Lloyd's face again. "Do you still wonder why he kept it a secret?"

"Because. . . I didn't think you'd care," Lucas replied. The ninja turned as the water ninja walked toward them, a flushed a look on his face. He sighed as he met up with them. "Because I don't care about it either."

"Then why are we here?" Kai pried.

"Because I wanted to let everyone know that the Loa lineage was still alive and well," Lucas replied. "I thought it was necessary. At least I don't blabber about my uncle being an executive for Oscorp. I'd rather keep quiet to the public."

"First off, my Uncle Ben is one of the head scientists of genetics research," Jay retorted. "Second, I don't blab about it." He saw the grey ninja's smug grin and felt his ears burn as he took Nya's hand. "Come on, Nya, let's go dance." Jay led her away.

The grin remained plastered to Lucas' face as he watched the blue ninja disappear into the crowd. His hazel grey eyes spotted his father among the crowd and he drank a glass of sparkling cider.

"Care for a dance, Mr. Wu?" a soft voice asked politely.

Lucas turned and blinked as he made eye contact with the photojournalist covering for Gayle Gossip: Vicki Vale. The girl gave him a soft smile as he looked at her, puzzled. Lucas shook himself awake and looked back at his friends. They smiled and encouraged him. "Uh. . . sure," he replied, holding out his hand. Vicki took it and the two waved their way through the packed area to a small section reserved for people to enjoy a dance. The water ninja spotted Jay and Nya dancing to the music and followed his lead as they began to dance. "Isn't it usually the gentleman's job to ask the lady for a dance?"

The blonde haired girl stifled a laugh as she followed Lucas' movements. "I figured you needed a push to dance," she replied. "And, in all honesty, I thought you'd have two left feet. You're a natural though. I'm amazed."

"My mother taught me how to dance when I was a boy. It feels natural."

"You're just full of surprises," she commended. "An heir to a company and a dancer. A teen like you probably has more secrets."

A smirk played on the grey ninja's lips as they danced. Sure, he had secrets, but they were supposed to be. He wasn't going to tell Vicki that he was the masked vigilante. "Secrets are secrets after all," he stated, "but you sure love to pry."

Vicki smiled. "What can I say? It's my specialty." Her smile remained on her lips as she leaned her face close to Lucas' ear. "Be wary though," she whispered. "Exposing yourself as the company heir could lead to consequences for you and your family. Be on your guard. A storm is coming." She pulled away and looked at him in the eye. Lucas nodded as he gazed around at his cousins, father, and friends. She was right.

Far across the lobby the elevator rang as someone entered from below. The usher turned his head to the sound and straightened his suit jacket, standing in front of the doors to greet the guest. The doors slid open. His eyes went wide at the sight of a gun aimed at his head. The armed man motioned for the usher to move aside and he did, just as the gun fired up towards the ceiling. Music stopped abruptly and everyone grew silent as the man with pale skin and styled green hair entered the room with men behind him.

"Everyone, everyone, relax," the man, Joker, announced as he walked around. Guests slowly moved away from him. He only chuckled. "Relax, I'm not here to hurt anyone. And I'm sorry for being late. My invite must have gotten lost in the mail." He walked over to a table and snatched hors d'oeuvres off a platter while taking a sip of champagne. "Tonight we're your honorary guests and entertainment, so I hope you're wearing your party pants."

Lucas couldn't believe what he saw. Joker was here, but what were his intentions? Was he going to harm people? Or was he trying to lure out Batman? The grey ninja noticed his family was all together across the room. As he looked over his shoulder he noticed there was no one behind him. Lucas drew in a deep breath and exhaled while stepping back, a misty mirage of himself stood in his place as he slipped away.

"Now then, who here wants to play a game?" the green haired man pried. "It's a simple game, really. I call it, 'Lure the Bat' and it requires a party full of people." He gazed around while sipping on his drink. It was too easy.

"You're a joke," a man said, glaring at Joker through his glasses while resting his hands on the wheels of his wheelchair. "People like you don't scare us that easily. The city has seen far worse villains than you."

Joker turned his head towards the rude guest and tossed his champagne glass aside. It shattered against the marble floor. He walked toward the wheelchair bound man and stood over him. "It's always rude not to smile," Joker said, hovering his left hand over his mouth. The crude tattoo smile was sinister and he lowered it. "But you should be afraid." Joker placed his gun against the man's temple, ruffling his long black hair. "Because I am no joke and I don't like it when people disrespect the prince of crime."

"Leave him alone!" a voice called out. The room fell silent as all eyes trained on a girl with red hair. Laurie glanced around nervously, her heart pounding with anxiety. Why had she called Joker out? It was on impulse, she couldn't help herself if someone was in danger.

Joker gazed at the girl and saw the bravery in her eyes. He snickered and removed the gun from the man's head, storing it in his coat. He walked over to Laurie and studied her, as well as the group that accompanied her. A smile played on his lips. "Well aren't you a bold girl," he said. "So much fire. I guess that's what happens when you're a ninja." He shrugged as she glared at him, but he offered his hand anyway. "Care to dance?"

"I don't think so, pal," Kai interjected. "She's taken."

"I wasn't asking you," Joker retorted, grabbing Laurie's wrist and wrenching her away.

"Hey! Let go of my sister," Lloyd demanded, taking a step.

Joker quickly pulled out his weapon and aimed it at the boy. The green ninja froze. Instinctively, Laurie pulled herself free from Joker and stood in front of her little brother. "Don't hurt him," she begged. "He's just a kid."

Snickering, Joker stored the gun back in his coat. "Silly girl," he mused, "I wasn't going to. I'm just playing." He grabbed her arm again and pulled her back toward him. Laurie squirmed in the crazed man's grip and cringed as he played with her hair. "Such luscious and vibrant locks, like a person's blood. Red hair. Pale skin. Why. . . you could be my queen of crime. Like. . . a harlequin." He felt a hard punch make contact with his face and he stumbled back, laughing. "Oh, you've got some fight in you. I like that."

"Then you'll like me," a deep voice said.

A flash of black ran past the man's eyes. There was another punch and Joker stumbled farther back. Hushed whispers filled the room and Joker recovered from his daze, smiling as he stared at the figure in black armor and a pointed cowl. "So you _are_ real," he acknowledged. "I thought you were just a rumor, like me."

Lucas, clad in the armor, glared at the green haired man and remained silent. He ignored the hushed whispers about his alias, but when he observed his surroundings he noticed Joker's crew slowly advancing toward him. "Leave now," Lucas demanded. "We don't want anyone to get hurt."

"Correction," Joker said. "It's not these people I want to hurt. It's _you_ I want to hurt, because you bothered my business. I have a bone to pick with you." He charged toward Batman and threw a punch, but his arm was caught and force hit his chest as he slouched to the ground.

Soon after, the remaining crew members surrounded the brunet. In retaliation, Lucas defended himself while fending them off. Then his brothers joined in to help even out the odds. Lloyd watched with anticipation as everyone fought, but his sister kept him back. The night was more exciting than he could have imagined. Lloyd's eyes drifted toward the Joker and he watched the man get to his feet and stomp his foot. A blade sprouted from the tip of his shoe. Lloyd gasped. "Look out!"

Lucas heard his cousin's shout and noticed Joker was in front of him. He tried to block the man's kick, but yelped in pain as the hidden knife caught him in the side. Lucas pushed Joker back and noticed the other assailants had been rendered unconscious. His breathing was ragged and heavy as he pressed his hand against the wound and saw the blood. Fox hadn't been kidding about weak spots in the armor. Joker noticed Batman was distracted and quickly snatched Lloyd away from his sister. Lucas heard his cousin scream as he looked over and saw a gun against the boy's head. "Let him go!" he bellowed.

"I will when you remove your mask and show everyone who you are," Joker countered. He removed the gun from Lloyd's head and fired it at the window. He then dragged Lloyd to the ledge and held him out the window by his coat.

Lucas narrowed his hazel grey eyes. He could see the fear gleaming in his cousin's emerald eyes. Joker had the gun trained on him and his friends, keeping them at bay. "Let him go," Lucas demanded again.

Joker laughed. "Very poor choice of words, Bats." He released his grip on the boy's coat and let him fall. Lucas gasped and charged past Joker, diving out the window. The green haired man laughed harder and ran to the elevator to escape.

Outside Lucas made contact with the slanted glass roof and slid on his chest as soon as he spotted Lloyd. The green ninja cried for help as he tried to climb and stop himself from falling, but he neared the edge of the roof. The grey ninja reached out for his cousin as he too neared the edge and they fell down to the street below. The wind howled in their ears and the brunet clutched his cousin tightly while reaching for his cape. "It's all right," he shouted. "I've got you!" Lucas finally grabbed a hold of his cape.

An electric current rushed from his palm and the cape sprung to life, becoming rigid, but only half of his cape activated. The two felt themselves lift as their velocity reduced and they spun down. Lloyd screamed and Lucas tried to comfort him. He wanted to his elemental power to help them reach the ground safely, but he didn't want to expose his secret identity. They both landed on top of a car.

Pain erupted through Lucas' back and he grunted. He was going to be sore for a couple of days and he left a dent in the roof of the car. He just knew it. Lucas groggily turned his head and looked at his cousin who rested on his chest, the cape covering him like a protective blanket. "You okay?" he asked. The green ninja was shaken, but he nodded and rolled over, staring at the night sky.

They both sighed.

"Thank you," Lloyd said, his voice cracked from shock. His eyes drifted down to Batman's laceration. "Here, let me help you with that." He grabbed part of Batman's cape and drenched it with water from his hands before laying it against the wound. Batman winced. Lloyd closed his eyes to clear his head and concentrated.

Lucas watched with anticipation. He'd been told before that his cousin had performed healing on his own. Now he had the chance to see it with his own eyes. A blue light glowed from the wet cloth and the water ninja grunted as he felt the liquid reach his wound. A minute passed and the glow slowly died as the green ninja removed the cape to inspect the wound. Lucas gazed at his side and smiled as he saw the clear skin where the laceration had been. His cousin had done an amazing job. "Thank you," he said to Lloyd as he climbed down the roof. "Stay here. Your friends should be here soon to get you." Lucas grabbed the grappling gun from his belt and fired it into the darkness, disappearing.

Lloyd was alone with witnesses from the party surrounding him.

The boy kept his gaze locked on the man that had saved him as he vanished. He ignored the people around his asking about his well-being. Batman had felt. . . familiar to him. The way the man he quickly saved him and then comforted him afterwards. His eyes looked familiar too. Almost like. . .

Lloyd shook the thought from his head. He was probably just imagining things. It didn't matter now. He was alive and just wanted to go home.

This had just been another rough night.


	15. Got Off on the Wrong Foot

**Chapter 14: Got Off on the Wrong Foot**

"You do realize that this goes against criminology protocol and anything that could be considered sane, right?" Fox asked Lucas. The grey ninja sat next to the man as they both gazed at a large computer monitor. They watched the recorded data that Lucas had obtained via his cowl in the hope of getting facial recognitions of Joker. Unfortunately, both came up empty-handed. "You could be facing ten to fifteen years in jail for hacking the police databases and interfering with police work. Not to mention pretending to have a job here and actually being a masked fighter in the night."

Sighing, Lucas leaned back in his seat. Fox was right; he was breaking laws and impersonating an officer in order to catch leads of a criminal, but after what had happened last night at the party, Lucas wanted to stop this crazed man even sooner. He hadn't wanted his family to get involved, but it had happened. "Look, I understand what I'm doing is ironic to stop crime," Lucas replied, moving away and thinking, "but being Batman is the only way to stop this guy. As stupid as it sounds, I'm doing this because my brothers wouldn't agree to help the police. I had to take matters into my own hands."

"So, you're not worried then?" Fox pried, uncertain.

The water ninja shook his head. "I'm not worried." He took a seat and rested his head in his arms. "The police can try and catch me all they want if they think I'm as dangerous as Joker. I might be causing trouble for now, but I'm not the cause of all the problems. I'm the resolution. And right now nobody can find out who I am." Lucas got up from his seat and threw on his coat. "I'm sorry, but I have to leave now. We'll review the tape another time. I have to be back on the Bounty for training and patrolling, otherwise I'm in deep water. I don't want my team to know why I keep disappearing." He started toward the exit.

Fox watched the brunet walk to the elevator and he shook his head. Clearly the Ninja of Water didn't know the trouble he was getting himself into, even with his family. "How's your cousin doing?" he asked out of the blue.

Lucas stopped before he could reach for the elevator console and sighed. After saving Lloyd, he'd kept an eye on him all night because he'd been worried about him. Sure, the green ninja had been through a lot with Serpentine and other villains, but last night was a lot scarier: having a weapon against his head and being tossed out of a building. Lucas had seen the fear in Lloyd's eyes and he realized he needed to start acting like a true guardian toward him. It was just as his and Laurie's prophecy to be the Green Ninja's guardians had said. It was the reason they still had their powers and the others didn't. "He's fine," Lucas replied, calling the elevator. "He's still a bit shaken up, but that's all. Kid's tough after all."

The doors opened and Lucas entered.

* * *

The day turned to night. The city was quiet and bright from the many lights. Ninjago City was at its peak for night life, many people seeking relaxation and excitement. Even with this night life, the police had many dangers to deal with, sometimes even with the ninja. Especially when there's a notorious criminal loose in the city. That explained the light shining into the clouds above the city: a shadow of a bat.

A man stood on the rooftop of the police building, gazing at the night sky. A chill ran down his back and he pulled his coat tighter around himself. He'd been waiting on the rooftop for over an hour, looking for someone. Finally, he turned his head as he heard something tap against metal. He was face to face with the person he'd been trying to contact.

Lucas gazed at the searchlight that had the bat symbol against the bright light. He snorted to himself because it seemed unnecessary. Just too much for a vigilante that only acted sometimes. "Nice piece," he commented, his voice lowered.

"I couldn't think of any other way to contact you," Gordon replied. "It's not like you have a phone number or anything, but I'm glad you could come."

"What can I do for you, Commissioner?"

"Well. . ." Gordon paused and thought about what he had to say, but there wasn't really anything. "It's not just me who wanted to talk to you." He tilted his head toward Batman. "Gentlemen, show yourselves."

The grey ninja heard shuffling and turned around. His eyes found familiar people that strode across the rooftop: four teenagers dressed in ninja gis. His elemental brethren. Lucas remembered that they were going to go meet up with someone while he and Laurie stayed on the Bounty with Lloyd, but he never thought it would have been Batman. "Only four?" Lucas asked, keeping up the charade.

The earth ninja eyed the dark figure cautiously, but kept his hands away from the scythe sheathed against his back. "We have two others, the samurai, and our mentor back at HQ watching over our youngest member," he replied. "He's the one you saved last night. We're very grateful for that. Thanks."

Lucas didn't flash a smirk and he kept his eyes on his brothers. He wished they weren't on the rooftop with him because he didn't want any of them to recognize him, or Zane to scan him and figure out his identity. "It was nothing, really," he said. "I only did what had to be done to ensure that no one died at Joker's hands."

"Speaking of which," Gordon interrupted, "I never got to thank you for catching Sinois the other night. You'd been right: he did have a location at the shipyard and two of our officers had been bribed by him. Turns out he was part of Joker's crew, the top member, but he posted bail before we could extract more from him."

"Joker got to him before we could so he could make sure there were no loose ends that could have exposed him," the grey ninja added. "So it looks like we're on a cold case again."

There was silence besides the noises of the city. Gordon turned away and remembered that he did have something to discuss. He just had to figure out how to say it without being blunt to Batman.

"Um. . . who exactly are you?" Jay sked, breaking the tension. The other ninja gazed at Jay as if the question was rhetorical. "We never got a chance to speak to you after you saved Lloyd, so we weren't properly introduced. My name is Jay Walker, the blue ninja and Spinjitzu master. I'm also the Master of Lightning, an inventor, and dabbler of art and poetry." He held out his right hand.

"Not to mention bringer of headaches when you blab on too much," Kai grumbled, rubbing his temples.

Lucas rolled his eyes as he watched the two bicker. What Kai had said about Jay was true, and the bickering was only natural. It was like when he and Kai would fight, only that usually ended in bruises. He watched as Cole and Zane tried to break up the fight before he cleared his throat. The four turned toward him. "I'm known as Batman," he replied. "With the recent events happening, I decided to help stop Joker and ensure he doesn't ruin this city. That is my only job."

Gordon turned to Batman and snorted. Perhaps he'd have to be blunt after all considering what he'd just heard. "That's another reason I wanted to meet you here," he exclaimed. "We don't know who you really are, but I'm warning you that you're interfering with police work. What you're doing is serious and dangerous." He walked over to Batman and looked him in the eye. "You need to stand down and let us deal with the before my men and women hunt you down."

Lucas kept his eyes locked with the grey haired man, refusing to move a muscle. Fox had been right when he'd talked about Batman breaking police protocol, but since his family wasn't helping to stop Joker he'd take the consequences. "Listen Gordon," Lucas said, "I can't stand down knowing Joker's still running around. I'm doing you a favor, all of you, so that none of you are killed by him. You've seen what he's like." He moved away from the commissioner and stood on the edge of the rooftop, ready to leave. "I'll deal with Joker. He's mine."

Gordon took a deep breath and tried to calm his temper. Batman wasn't listening and he had half a mind to take out his gun and arrest him. The vigilante had to be put in jail. Before Gordon could say anything, his radio crackled to life. "All units respond," a voice spoke. "We have a disturbance at the intersection of Broadway and Thirty-Fourth street. Driver in a semi-truck heading south. . . oh my god. . . it's Joker. Please respond. He has a trailer full of weapons. Be cautious."

The water ninja glanced over his shoulder at the commissioner who paced in thought. Now wasn't the time to think. Joker had a crew with weapons out in the city. "We can either stand here and argue, or not," Lucas said. "Right now Joker's on the loose and causing destruction. He needs to be stopped. I'll stop him alone if I have to."

"No! You're not doing anything!" Gordon chastised. "You're not the peacekeeper of the law. This is our job. Stand down, now!"

"I can't, Gordon," the Ninja of Water retorted. "I can take him down for you. Joker is my problem to deal with."

"But consider this thought," Zane said. "He is trying to lure you out, have you come after him. You saw what he did at the party. He was willing to hurt innocents just to meet you." The ice ninja waited for a response, but Batman ignored him, turned to leave. Without hesitation, Zane grabbed the shurikens from the holster on his belt and threw them at Batman's back, but the man dodged the weapons and glared.

Tension built up around the five of them as Gordon stepped back cautiously, his gun drawn. Cole motioned for the commissioner to stay back. The four ninja drew their weapons and Lucas remained still as his brother started to corner him. He almost chuckled. It was like the olden days, when he'd been the apprentice to his evil uncle.

Everyone was silent and still, waiting for someone else to make the first move. Finally, Kai charged at Batman and swung his katana, but the water ninja crossed his arms and caught the blade. In retaliation, Lucas threw his knee into Kai's unprotected abdomen. Kai gasped loudly and Lucas threw him across the rooftop. The spiky haired brunet groaned and held his chest, the wind knocked out of him. The remaining ninja charged.

The Ninja of Water studied each of his brothers. He dodged Jay's nunchucks, grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back as he thrust his own elbow into the back of Jay's head. The lightning ninja slumped in a daze onto the tarred roof. Lucas saw Cole out of the corner of his eyes and dodged the crescent blade of the scythe as he grabbed the shaft of the weapon. They both pushed against each other. For a split second, Lucas noticed Zane dash toward him. With his free hand, Lucas grabbed hold of his cape. The static sounded as the cape became stiff and Lucas threw it in front of both ninja, stunning them. Finally, Lucas grabbed both of their shoulders and kicked them into Jay. As they all piled up he tossed down a smoke bomb, concealing himself in thick smoke as he glided away.

Jim Gordon was left with the incapacitated ninja.

The commissioner raced to the edge of the roof, his gun drawn, and aimed at Batman, but he was already too far. The four dazed ninja struggled to stand at first, but they quickly recovered. "Do whatever it takes to stop that man," Gordon demanded. "I don't know how or if you can capture him, but he has to be stopped. He's going to aggravate Joker's game and innocent lives will be on the line. You need to help us stop these heists, stop Joker."

Uncertain about the request, Cole glanced at his brethren. They nodded in acceptance. The raven haired teen nodded in return. The way Batman was able to fight all four of them. . . he was a threat that had to be apprehended. "We'll do everything we can," he said to the commissioner. "Batman won't get away with this."


	16. Hit Me

**Chapter 15: Hit Me!**

The electric motor whined loudly as it accelerated down the roads of Ninjago City. A figure clung to a sleek black motorcycle as it drove, searching for someone. His cape rippled behind him, eyes narrowed in concentration. The streets around him were empty, not a car or pedestrian in sight. Possibly an evacuation because of the crazed man's truck full of weapons. Lucas liked it; made it easier for him to find Joker and put a stop to his crime.

The grey ninja was near the location of the dispatch call and he began to look around for the truck, but he couldn't find anything matching the description. Lucas wondered if the green haired man had gotten farther away after the call for back-up. If his elemental brothers hadn't gotten in the way, he'd have been tailing after the truck by now. Joker could be anywhere with the weapons, but where?

Unbeknown to Lucas, a large semi-truck with an attached trailer turned the corner and started following him. The engine roared loudly and black smoke emitted from the twin stock pipes as the acceleration increased slowly, driving beside the motorcycle. Lucas' head perked to the sound of the engine and he turned his head as he watched the truck drive past him. The side of the trailer slid open and revealed a man with bright green hair and a purple suit. "Hello, Batman!" Joker smiled, shouting over the noise. "Out for a Sunday drive?! I know I am! And I intend to go out with a bang!" He grabbed a weapon from one of his men and rested it on his shoulder.

Lucas studied the weapon for a quick second before he realized what it was. A weapon that could fire projectile rockets was aimed right at him. Joker laughed as he started to squeeze the trigger. Immediately, the Ninja of Water stopped the bike and rolled his body, the gyroscopic wheels of the motorcycle took him under the trailer to the other side before he twisted the throttle and sped past the truck. All Lucas heard was an eruption behind him as Joker fired the rocket. That had been a close call.

The other side of the modified trailer slid open and Joker peeked out, smiling at Batman as he drove away. "I love it when they play hard to get," he said to himself, hefting the weapon onto his shoulder. The wind brushed his face as he aimed forward, locking his eyes on the motorcycle. He fired again and a trail of smoke followed the rocket as it sailed.

Lucas glanced over his shoulder and saw another rocket heading for him. He veered the bike slightly to the left and it passed him. The projectile combusted into a parked car, causing it to flip over. Lucas glared at the crazed man as he realized allowing them to chase him would lead to chaos. It was time to turn the tables. He raced down the road and used the flipped car as a ramp, turning the gyro-wheels after he landed and headed straight for Joker. The truck took an unexpected turn and traveled down the city's underpass roads. Lucas stopped and watched them leave. "Following them will be a deathtrap," he said to himself. "Maybe I can find another way and cut them off. Then he's mine."

A light shined down from above, making Lucas wince. His hazel-grey eyes adjusted so he could see what it was. A police helicopter loomed over him, a searchlight trained on him, and Lucas turned his head to the sound of sirens. Squad cars raced toward him. On the other side of him a familiar engine roared to life in a large, bulky vehicle: the Ultra Sonic Raider. Lucas knew his brothers were inside, pursuing him. Sighing, the water ninja had no choice but to flee, twisting the throttle as he sped away from the brigade of officers.

The light still focused on the brunet as the police and ninja chased after him. Sirens blared loudly and Lucas heard them over his engine; they were getting close. He ignored the warnings he was given from the cycle's intercom because he didn't want to stop. His mission was to stop Joker, to help the cops, not be pursued by them. All he'd done was ignore the commissioner and fight his brothers. No harm done. They'd all gotten off on the wrong foot.

Lucas saw a blockade of armored police vans up ahead, spike strips on the road. He had to commend them for planning ahead, but it wasn't going to stop him. He glanced around for another route and saw an alleyway before the blockade. Lucas squeezed the brakes. The tired rolled as he pivoted his body, turning the bike perpendicular to the road as he drove into the alley. He glanced over his shoulder and watched two of the cars collide on the spike strips. As he exited the alley he lost sight of the cars.

He sighed.

An unknown force rocked the bike and Lucas lost his focus for a second. He felt another force rock the bike again, but it was harder this time. He looked over his shoulder to see where it'd come from. Twin cannons were aimed at him and fired shockwaves. Lucas rolled to the left to avoid them and drove faster to get away from his brothers, but Cole soon closed in on him. Lucas understood that he'd fought against them and won, but wanting revenge was ridiculous. Joker was the enemy, not him. "Idiots," he grumbled.

He searched around for something to stop his brothers from attacking him, but he saw another road block at the next intersection. All sides were blocked off and his brothers had led him into a trap. _Clever_ , Lucas thought as he stopped in the intersection.

The overheard searchlight found Lucas and many of the police officers had their guns trained on him. Lucas pondered how to escape now that he felt like a caged animal. All exits were cut off and everyone was armed. "Batman, surrender now or they'll use lethal force on you!" Cole's voice shouted from his vehicle's intercom. "There's nowhere to run! It's one against many! The odds aren't in your favor!"

Lucas stared at his brothers inside the Raider and then at the police force. Maybe Cole was right, he had nowhere to run, but he couldn't let Joker escape. He glanced around and eyed the Raider's frontal inclined treads. Maybe there was a way. The tires of the motorcycle rolled and Lucas revved the engine as he charged towards his friends. The ice ninja aimed the cannons at Batman and fired. Lucas avoided the shot and drove onto the treads, like a ramp, and fled.

The four ninja blinked. Batman had been in their grasp and he got away, just like that. And he'd used them to do it. "Uh. . . is it just me or should we get bikes like that?" Jay exclaimed. The others glared at him. "What?"

* * *

Far across the city, a man poked his head out of a trailer, enjoying the breeze through his hair. He smiled with bliss from the calmness, yet he was bored as the man he'd been pursuing wasn't around. Joker wondered where Batman had disappeared to. Soon he heard police sirens trailing behind him. He wanted Batman, not the cops. "The things I have to do," Joker murmured, reloading his weapon and aiming it behind the truck. The rocket sailed and hit the road in front of the cars, causing them to stop.

Joker laughed. That would keep the police at bay for some time. He turned and entered the cab of the truck connected to the trailer. "Move over," he demanded, taking the wheel from the driver. "My turn to drive!" Joker slammed his foot on the pedal and enjoyed the thrill of speed. Ahead of him, he saw a faint black figure on the deserted road. "Now there you are," Joker said, charging toward him. "You want to play Chicken? We'll play." He slammed his foot harder on the gas.

Lucas kept his eyes focused on the truck. It was time to end this. Joker was his now. He glanced at the twin cannons on the front wheel of his motorcycle, barbed hooks extended from them, as he lowered his body. The motorcycle whined loudly as it gained speed. When he was near the truck, he fired the cables at the engine block and drove past the cab, under the trailer. Lucas hoped this worked.

"He missed!" the passenger yelled. Joker glanced at the mirrors and watched Batman appear from underneath the trailer. He wondered what he was planning, but his green eyes widened as he saw something in the road.

He felt a strong force hit the front of the truck.

The driver and passengers lurched forward at the sudden halt. The cable pulled tightly, causing the light poles and cement slabs to be ripped from the foundations of the streets. Due to the strong force, the momentum of the trailer vaulted over the truck's cab and lay flipped on the road. The Ninja of Water quickly braked and turned to see the damage he'd caused. Maybe he went too far. He couldn't see any sign of movement.

A groan escaped Joker as his head swam with pain, possibly a concussion. He shook the feeling away and glanced around the flipped cab, lucky to survive. He heard the moans from his crew. How lucky could a guy be? Joker spotted Batman far across from him and wondered why he hadn't killed him. He grabbed a gun and carefully climbed out of the wreckage and walked towards him. The motorcycle's engine roared.

"Come on, hit me! I know you want to," Joker challenged, firing the gun at Batman and purposely missing. Lucas kept his focus as the bike charged forward. "Hit me! I know you want to. Come on, come on, end it all now. I want you to. Hit me!" Lucas screamed angrily and hit the brakes, the tires rolling as he turned and drove past Joker. Joker turned on his heels and watched the dark figure climb off the bike as he walked over to him. "I knew it."

Lucas eyed the crazed man cautiously. "What do you mean?" he asked darkly.

"Your nature, Bats." Joker laughed. The brunet looked at him oddly. "How you didn't kill me and my men when flipping the truck. How you didn't run me over. Saving the boy before going after me. I've put the pieces together, I know what you're like: the opposite of me. Protecting lives instead of taking them. I knew this scheme would help me understand you."

Puzzled, Lucas glanced at the flipped truck and then Joker. A scheme to understand him? Then it came to him. "This was all a game of yours," he concluded. "Just so you can cause mayhem and force me to stop you, to study me. A greeting card."

Giggling, Joker quickly rushed to the Ninja of Water with a grin. Lucas leaned away because he didn't know if Joker had a concealed weapon on him. "You're right on the nose, Bats," Joker mused. "You see, we're not so different, you and I. You do something to anger me, I do something to anger you. We're meant for each other."

"You kill people and rob banks," Lucas justified. "What's even happening to the stolen money from the banks? You only seem to use small amounts of money for the things you use. Almost as if you're working for someone else, which explains the weapons."

There was silence as Joker looked away from the masked man and snorted. "I'd rather keep that to myself, like you do with your face." He glanced over his shoulder at the sound of sirens and a helicopter. "This won't be the last you see of me," Joker said. "Next time we meet, it'll be the final showdown to see who gets the city. And I don't intend to lose." He turned and left his foe alone, ducking into an alley and fleeing from the police.

Angered, Lucas scoffed as he watched the crime lord leave. Joker had been within his grasp and he'd let him walk away. Of course, the challenge of claiming the city would be a chance to end Joker's reign of terror. Both the water ninja and Batman weren't about to stand down in a fight. "I'll end this, Joker," he scowled. "If it's the last thing I do." Lucas climbed onto his motorcycle and drove off before the police arrived.


	17. Just Want To Talk

**Hey everyone, happy Friday and time for a new update. Been awhile since I did a A/N but I just wanted to give out a reminder that I won't post next week for I'll be on vacation and will be back on the 22nd. Then I'll continue the story. And sorry if this update was late, working is busy today. Anyway, enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 16: Just Want To Talk**

The sun slowly rose on the horizon of the city, casting a dim glow across the sky. The city was quiet, some civilians already ready for work while others still slept. Traffic wouldn't become busy until later in the day. The buildings reflected the sunlight like mirrors. This was a typical morning in Ninjago City, but not a good one for a certain ninja on the Destiny's Bounty.

On the deck of the ship, Lucas shivered in the morning chill as he wrapped his sweatshirt tighter around himself. Miniscule bumps formed on his skin and felt weight on one of his shoulders as he turned to see what had laid on him. He saw a familiar thick, scaly grey-silver object and made eye contact with the large friend of his: the elemental water dragon, Storm. "Thanks, big guy," Lucas said, rubbing his snout. The dragon purred deeply at his touch and nuzzled against his hand, flicking his tongue against Lucas' cheek. The brunet cringed at the slimy kiss, but kept a smile on his face. Storm took his wing off Lucas' shoulder and lowered his forelegs, inviting his rider to climb on for a ride. The Ninja of Water was eager for a flight, but he sighed. "I'm sorry, Storm. I. . . just not in the mood right now."

"Why not, Lucas?" Lloyd asked.

The grey ninja lifted his head and saw his cousin dressed in his pajamas and green sweatshirt, laid out on Storm's back. "Nothing that concerns you, Shrimp," he lied. "I just don't feel too well."

It was true that the water ninja wasn't feeling well. Today wasn't a day for him to be in a cheerful mood. Lucas was filled with sorrow because today marked the anniversary of the tragic event that had happened nine years ago, the day he'd lost his mother. The others, except for Lloyd, knew it was the day and they'd decided it was best not to bother him or Sensei Wu.

Lucas sighed again and looked at Lloyd, ruffling his blond hair. He could see the concern in Lloyd's emerald eyes. "Like I said," Lucas continued, "it's nothing. If anyone else asks for me, tell them I'll be in our room." He turned to Storm. "Sorry, big guy. Next time we'll fly, I promise." Lucas rubbed his dragon's snout and disappeared into the ship.

Concerned, the green ninja watched Lucas disappear below deck. He could tell from the tone in Lucas' voice that he wasn't feeling well, but it wasn't from a cold or flu. It reminded Lloyd of himself, when he'd lost Rhea on top of the Ninjago City Tower. "Do you know that's wrong?" he asked the grey dragon. Storm huffed in reply and Lloyd patted his snout. "Yeah, me too."

. . .

Silence was all Lucas heard as he stared at the ceiling from his bed. He was the only one in the bedroom, isolated from the outside. It was what he wanted for this type of day: a day of grief and remembrance. Lucas played with a bat shaped shuriken and kept his eyes focused on the ceiling until they drifted to the silver bracelet on his right wrist; the bracelet his mother had given him in the monastery dojo when he was between life and death. Lucas sighed and moved his arm away.

There was a light knock on the door and Lucas' eyes flashed with realization and he quickly hid the shuriken underneath his comforter. "Yeah?" he replied. The door opened slowly and Lloyd entered. Lucas sighed. "What is it, Shrimp?"

"I just want to talk. That's all," Lloyd replied as he climbed up onto Lucas' top bunk. "And before you say 'there's nothing to talk about', I can tell that's a lie." Lucas was taken aback by the tone in his cousin's voice. It sounded more mature than a twelve year old. "Now, I just want to know what's up. That's it. It's not like you to lock everyone out like you did before. So what's wrong?"

Lucas stared into his cousin's eyes before he looked away. He wasn't going to be able to lie his way out of it now. He'd be honest with Lloyd, but avoid telling him anything that would hurt him more. "A long time ago I lost someone close to me. Every year I'd rather be alone and not talk about it. It brings me more pain than I'm already in. There, does that answer your question?"

There was a long pause as Lloyd anxiously played with his hands and kept his head down. "Is this person. . . my aunt?" he wondered. "The one I didn't know I had?" Lucas didn't reply. "I'm sorry, Lucas. I didn't know."

He was quiet after his youngest cousin's apology, but directed his hazel-grey eyes toward him. Reluctantly, Lucas pulled Lloyd closer and embraced him. Lloyd was startled at first, but then he felt the grey ninja's body quiver. Almost as if he was crying. "You don't know what it's like to have someone close to you wrenched away in the blink of an eye," Lucas cried softly. "Sure, you lost me, your father when he fell to the Underworld, and your mother and sister when they left you behind at Darkley's, but this is entirely different. This was someone I grew up with my entire life and she was gone before I even understood the death of loved ones."

Lloyd couldn't reply. It wasn't because he was squished against his cousin's chest, but because of the crying. He knew that it was best to remain quiet while Lucas mourned. He'd never seen Lucas cry before and he was in awe, wondering if his sister would think the same thing.

Lucas collected himself and loosened his grip on Lloyd. "Now do you understand why I want to be alone? I don't want you to talk about this." Lloyd nodded. "Good. Now please go, okay? Go see if Storm wants to play since I can't."

Nodding, Lloyd decided to follow his cousin's wishes. He didn't want to leave him, but he hopped off the top bunk anyway. When Lloyd landed he lost his balance and grabbed Lucas' comforter in an effort to stabilize himself. Something clattered onto the floor with Lloyd and the blanket. A groan came from the green ninja as he scrambled to his feet and his eyes rested on a weird object. He grabbed it and studied it: a piece of metal shaped like a. . . bat. Lloyd looked up at his cousin, wondering why he'd hid it.

Lucas, however, looked at his cousin with wide eyes as he held the shuriken in his hand. The realization in Lloyd's eyes was evident, putting all of the pieces together. The fact that the shuriken had been in Lucas' possession. The times Lucas had disappeared from the Bounty. If Lloyd imagined it he could see Lucas' hazel-grey eyes behind the black armor. Lucas was Batman. Lucas had saved him the other night.

Instinctively, Lloyd looked at the intercom attached to the wall and then back at his cousin. They were both frightened. "Don't you dare," Lucas threatened, slowly climbing off his bed.

Without a second thought, Lloyd quickly raced to the intercom with the grey ninja right behind him. He yelped as he felt his arm being grabbed. The boy struggled against Lucas' tight grip and tugged hard, slipping out of his green sweatshirt and freeing himself to reach the console. "Everyone! Lucas is-" He couldn't finish his sentence because a hand had been thrown over his mouth, silencing him.

Lucas struggled to grab his cousin's flailing hands while keeping him quiet. It had been a close call, Lloyd almost revealing his secret, but the sudden silence was going to raise suspicion. He felt the green ninja grab his hand and try to pry it off of his mouth. Lucas took the opportunity to grab Lloyd's arms and pull him tightly against his chest while he wrapped his legs around Lloyd's legs, pinning him. Lucas heard Lloyd growl under his hand as he continued to struggle, but used his shoulder to press the intercom. "It's nothing," Lucas said. "Lloyd's being a brat because I can't take him to the comic book store, but I told him I'd take him later." He yelped a bit as he felt Lloyd bite his hand.

"Um. . . okay?" Laurie's voice replied, obviously confused. "But, Lloyd, I told you I would take you to the store while the guys and Nya are out. You can leave Lucas alone. He's not feeling very well and he wants to be alone, okay?"

With that, the Ninja of Water slowly removed his hand from Lloyd's mouth and placed it on a nerve where Lloyd's neck met his shoulder. He pushed down on it lightly and Lloyd's face scrunched up. Lloyd understood what Lucas was doing. "Okay, Laurie," he replied. "I'm sorry, Lucas. I didn't know."

There was silence and Lucas waited to see if Laurie was still going to talk with them, but there wasn't another response from the wind ninja. He sighed as Lloyd continued to struggle and was surprised that everyone, other than his family, was out. He saw Lloyd's glare and returned one of his own. "Come with me and don't scream for your sister. I just want to talk." Lucas let Lloyd go and pulled him to his feet. "If you scream or try to tell anyone about what you saw, I'll squeeze your nerve harder. It'll paralyze you for a couple hours. Just a little something I learned from your dad when I trained under him. Got it?" He saw Lloyd nod, scared. "Good."

The two slowly advanced to the bedroom door and the grey ninja peered out cautiously. The coast was clear and Lucas dragged Lloyd with him. Lloyd struggled to kick and squirm. This wasn't the first time he'd been kidnapped by his own cousin. He lifted his gaze and noticed that Lucas was leading him to the dead end of the hallway and watched as he pressed his hand against the wall. There was a click and the green ninja was in awe as Lucas pushed in the wall to reveal a hidden door. Lucas dragged Lloyd inside and the door closed itself.

Lloyd's emerald green eyes gazed around the hidden staircase as they entered a dark room and he felt himself being set down in a chair. He recognized the feeling of rope being wrapped around him and he scoffed. Fire ignited a lantern and the room brightened. Lucas tested Lloyd's bonds before he lit the rest of the lanterns. Sighing, Lloyd stopped. It was useless to escape, but he thought he'd be good with knots by now. "You know this is overkill, right?" he asked Lucas, giving him a nonchalant look.

"It may seem like that, but I like to take precautions," Lucas replied as he turned his cousin's chair to face a wardrobe. The doors swung open and revealed the black armor and cowl in the center, the cape and gadgets on the doors. Lloyd's jaw was agape as he stared at his cousin. "Now you know my secret. I'm Batman."

"Why are you doing this?" Lloyd wondered. "The others and the police are calling you a criminal! So why?"

Sighing, the brunet closed the wardrobe and began untying his cousin. "The others may not like this, but I'm doing it because they didn't want to. Cole refused to help the police stop Joker so I decided to take matters into my own hands." Lucas got the knot undone and removed the rope. "So, I became Batman and I've been searching for Joker so I can stop him and end his reign of crime. He's a thief and a murderer."

"But you know the others are gonna catch onto you, right?" Lloyd asked. "What happens when they find out?"

Lucas pondered the question, tapping his knuckles. Lloyd was right. If the others found out about his secret, what would happen? Would they turn him into Gordon? Or would he be kicked off the team? Who cared though, he wouldn't let them unmask him. "The others won't find out, Shrimp," Lucas said. "I'm only doing this until I stop Joker and then they won't see Batman again. Since you know you'll be at risk because Batman has enemies and you could be used as leverage against me. It's just like what Vicki told me at the party. It's best that you forget what you saw, understand?"

Lloyd looked at his cousin and frowned. He understood that he was at risk for knowing the identity of the masked vigilante, but it didn't mean he could simply forget about it. His lips were sealed. He nodded.

* * *

He twirled a pencil between his fingers out of boredom. A frown was cast upon his pale face as he leaned back in his chair, feet propped on the table. He was indeed bored; he wanted excitement in his life. His foe hadn't shown himself the past couple nights and it was making him anxious to do something. He hadn't bothered to hear the details of the next heist from his roomful of henchmen. Joker didn't care about the money now. He wanted Batman.

He stopped playing with the pencil as something came to him. The few times Batman had ever come out was when he was doing something. The night he crashed the party and used the smallest ninja as a hostage. When he was causing mayhem in the streets. Even though he hadn't been there, Batman had stopped the weapons trade and captured his old colleague. He had an idea now. "Stop," Joker shouted. The room grew silent. "Just stop and hear me out!"

He got up from his seat and paced through the meeting room of the warehouse. "Gentlemen, gentlemen," he began, "I've been thinking. It's time to stop with these heists and move on." Joker heard hushed tones scatter through the room and he cleared his throat to regain their attention "I think tonight is the night we start taking control of this city." He saw them look surprised as they began clapping and cheering. Joker smiled. "The start of a party of our own! Cause destruction and chaos! Have the police bow down to us! We have the fire power and the numbers to take control of this city! I'll kill the Batman!" The room roared loudly with enthusiasm and he grinned. "This city will be ours. Who's with me!?"

"I am!" one shouted.

"I am!" another shouted.

Joker laughed loudly and jumped onto a long table, dancing around while kicking papers off the table. They showered down like confetti. This was the small party. The real party wasn't until tonight. The room continued to clap and cheer for their boss as he danced with excitement. This wasn't the entertainment Joker wanted, but it was a start. He stopped and stared at his men below him. "And I know the perfect targets to start the party."


	18. Captured

**Chapter 17: Captured**

The bell chimed as the glass door swung open. Two siblings exited the small shop and entered the busy streets of Ninjago City. The afternoon sun was high in the partly cloudy sky, the wind chilled. Autumn was coming to the city as the orange and green ninja left the comic book store.

The red haired girl shivered and pulled her jacket tighter around her as she weaved her way through the crowded streets. Lloyd was in front of her, his eyes trained on an open comic book as he walked, not paying attention to where he was going. Laurie sighed as he nearly bumped into a couple people. Apparently the book was more important than his sense of direction. "Lloyd, watch where you're going," she warned. "That's twice you've nearly bumped into people without knowing."

His head snapped up and he noticed his sister was behind him. He rushed back to her. "Sorry, sis," he laughed sheepishly. "I was just getting to the intense stuff. Believe me, you'll want to read this one."

The wind ninja smiled and laughed as she ruffled his hair. Thanks to Lloyd, she'd become fascinated with the Starfarer series. "I thought you and Lucas had already got that issue last time you were out."

"Well, Rufus had the shipment come in late by accident so no one got the issue," Lloyd replied, a bit disappointed. "So all we really did was trivia and he bought us pizza to make up for it so I was fine with that." His emerald eyes drifted back down to the comic in his hands. "Besides, now I have it and I get to see what happened after the cliffhanger. Remember?" He flashed Laurie a smirk.

Chuckling, Laurie nodded. She definitely remembered. Every time Lloyd finished an issue, he would push her to read it so she could be caught up. "Yeah, I know," she said. The two turned the corner and continued their way back to the Bounty. "Well. . . Uncle said he and Lucas wanted to be alone today and I'm hungry, so let's grab some lunch and then meet up with the others. Does that sound good?" Lloyd nodded as he read.

The streets started becoming less crowded as the two moved their way through the city. Lloyd somehow found himself in front of his sister again, gaze deeply fixated on the paperback book. Laurie shook her head and glanced at her surroundings. She knew that somewhere nearby was a café Kai had taken her to once. Which way had it been?

Laurie stopped and noticed that she was alone. Lloyd wasn't in her line of sight. Her heart dropped as she realized how big Ninjago City truly was. Her brother was lost all because she took her eyes off him for a minute. "Lloyd!?" she called out. "Lloyd, where are you!?"

The sound of broken glass alerted the wind ninja and she directed her attention down an alley to her left. The area appeared vacant, but it didn't mean Lloyd wasn't down there. He liked using alleys as shortcuts. In an effort to find him, Laurie ventured in cautiously. Brick walls surrounded her as she looked for the green ninja. When she finally turned the corner where the noise had been, she saw it was a dead end. "Lloyd?"

A blunt force struck Laurie on the back of the head and she collapsed, unconscious.

* * *

Lloyd's emerald eyes darted frantically across the illustrated panels. A smile grew on his face as he read. No matter how much he wanted to pry his eyes away and look where he was going, Lloyd was just too engrossed in the story. He stopped and leaned against a building. This issue was full of distracting thrills, enough to make him unaware of his missing sister.

"Excuse me, young man, but are you lost?" an elderly voice asked.

Lloyd looked up from his comic and made eye contact with the woman's concerned face. Lost? He looked down the street and noticed his sister was nowhere around, all because he was too distracted with reading. "Um. . . no, I'm not lost," he replied. "My sister was right behind me so I'm gonna go find her. She can't be too far away."

He waited for a response as the woman nodded and walked away. Lloyd started in the opposite direction. Laurie and Lucas never took their eyes off him, especially when they were out in the city. It wasn't like Laurie to just disappear. Back tracking would be the best way to find her.

The comic book in his hand was tempting him to read, but he shook the thoughts away. Not while his sister was missing. Lloyd stuffed the issue into the pocket of his sweatshirt. "Laurie?" he called out, ignoring the staring bystanders. "Laurie, where are you?"

The green ninja came across an alley and peeked down it as he saw something being dragged away in a rush. He gasped. It was his sister, being tossed into a van by a man with a clown mask. Lloyd's brows stitched together tightly. "Hey, loser," he shouted, "get your hands off my sister!" Lloyd brought his hands together and felt energy course through his veins as he emitted a green aura. But before he could fire his energy, something grabbed him from behind and covered his mouth.

Stunned, Lloyd glanced over his shoulder and saw another man with a clown mask. He struggled and tried to scream, but his voice was muffled from the man's hand. Lloyd kicked his legs as his captor carried him to the van. His partner left Laurie in the back and brought out a roll of tape. Lloyd's eyes widened as the men bound his legs together with the tape and pinned his arms to his sides. Sweat began to form on Lloyd's forehead as the hand was finally removed from his mouth. "Help! He-" But his desperate cry was cut off as a final piece of tape was plastered against his mouth. Lloyd was heaved into the back of the van with his sister, and the men drove off with the two ninja.

* * *

Amber eyes scanned the vacant bank lobby cautiously. It was quiet except for the scratching of a pencil and the clicking of fingers typing on keyboards. Five teenagers meandered inside. One with shaggy raven hair kept eye contact with two others: a boy with auburn hair and girl with dark chin length hair. They stood hand in hand across from the counter. "Remind me why we're playing 'Bank'?" the auburn haired boy whispered. "It's getting boring."

Cole gave the blue ninja a hard stare and turned his head toward Zane. "Be patient, brother," the ice ninja said as he adjusted his dress shirt and snowflake printed sweater vest. He sat next to Cole and Kai at another counter. The red ninja was on a computer. "After all, we are helping the police stop the heists. Thanks to an anonymous tip we must act as tellers and customers to lure Joker and his men here."

"Then the police will spring the trap," Kai added. He pried his eyes away from his game of solitaire and looked at his teammates with concern. "Don't you guys think it's a little weird? An unknown caller tells the police that this specific bank is going to be robbed and here we are just waiting. No one's shown up yet." Kai groaned as he stretched his arms and adjusted his brown coat. "I'm starting to get cramped and hungry from just sitting here. I thought Laurie and Lloyd were going to meet us here."

Sighing, Cole rolled his eyes. He was also feeling famished, but they couldn't just leave their posts. They had a criminal to catch. "Quit complaining, hot-head," he grumbled. "We're _all_ hungry and tired, but the police are counting on us. And I'm sure Laurie and Lloyd are just back on the Bounty."

Cole turned his attention back to Jay, but the sound of a pencil dropping startled him. Zane's dark blue eyes were wide as he stared straight ahead. "I sense that we have company," the Ninja of Ice warned. "They are finally here. Be ready, but do not give away your position." The team nodded and began to wait.

Time stretched on for the five ninja as they waited. Nobody barged through the front door, yet Zane's sixth sense had warned of their presence. Cole didn't like this at all. The sound of glass shattering caught his attention as he watched a metal canister land in the center of the room. "Wha-" The can combusted, releasing a misty compound into the air. Something wafted past the black ninja's nose and he started feeling drowsy. His vision wavered as he looked around at his team and collapsed onto the counter.

* * *

Quietness surrounded Lucas as he walked around the deserted ship. Night had fallen, but there wasn't any sign of his friends or cousins. It was strange, but Lucas shrugged. They were probably out doing something together, letting him and his father grieve a little longer. He was glad the day was almost over.

Lucas found himself in the den of the Destiny's Bounty and he collapsed onto the couch as he turned on the TV. There was nothing good on as he flipped through the channels, but something caught his attention and he backtracked. It was a distraught Vicki Vale reporting, and the news header read: _Joker's Warning_. Lucas turned up the volume. This wasn't good.

"Citizens are being warned about the recent occurrences of Joker and the studio just received this video tape," Vicki said. The screen changed and showed a camera being shuffled before the green haired man stepped back. His crude smile flashed on camera.

"Greetings, Ninjago City!" Joker's tape played back. "Joker here with the evening news. Yes, I'm the one behind all those bank robberies and I'm the Prince of Crime, soon to be the destroyer of the city." Lucas tensed up and leaned closer to the TV as Joker's smile turned sour. "Many years ago the vile city brought nothing but hatred to me. It made me weak. But now I'm a changed man, a more powerful man with a cheerful smile." Joker started to laugh. "Tonight, I will bring fear to this city, burn it to a crisp. At the stroke of midnight I will detonate the bombs I've placed throughout this city and your fear will fuel my happiness. So don't try and be brave."

Lucas' heart beat faster as he heard the sound of police sirens outside the Bounty. Joker was being serious. He got to his feet, ready to rush out, but stopped as he heard Joker speak again. "Batman! I know you're out there, watching, dying to see me again. I even have someone here with me to motivate you." Joker moved away from the camera and the grey ninja's breath caught. Lloyd was tied to a chair, gagged, his eyes full of fear as Joker circled around him. "As you can see, Bats, I've captured the boy you saved the other night. Your. . . Robin. I won't hurt him if you come to me. Don't keep us waiting."

The video ended.

"As you saw, two of Joker's bombs were discovered and the bomb squad is currently working to disarm them as we speak," Vicki continued. "However, innocent lives are still in danger, Batman-"

The TV turned off and Lucas held his head in his hands. He was full of rage. The notorious criminal had taken his cousin and he wasn't going to stand for it. He was going to get Lloyd back and stop Joker once and for all. "Do whatever it takes to save Lloyd and stop this man," a voice said. Lucas turned to see his father in the doorway. "I have faith in you, son. Or should I say Batman?"

The Ninja of Water looked at him curiously, but nodded. Of course his father would figure out his secret identity. He always had a way about him. "I'll do it for Lloyd and the people of Ninjago City," Lucas said. "Mom would want me to do the same." He saw his father smile and he walked out, going to the secret room. As he entered and opened his wardrobe, he gazed at the cowl's empty eyes.

This would end tonight.


	19. Who Are You?

**Chapter 18: Who Are You?**

The police found themselves surrounding a building that was under construction. A helicopter buzzed around the building at a low altitude, a searchlight moving around each floor. Squad cars and vans surrounded the ground level entryways, donned in protective armor. They awaited orders. Inside, men with clown masks walked, armed with a gun. Outside, policemen and women were armed, ready for Joker's attack.

Blue eyes gazed through the binoculars in his hands as he scanned the building. Gordon was perched on a rooftop across from the building with a squadron of his own, his mind busy. Joker planned to bomb the city and his bomb squad was already working to defuse three they'd found. On top of that, the crazed man had a boy as a hostage. The green ninja. He called out Batman to fight him. This was going to be a long and disastrous night. "Any word from the ninja yet, Captain?" Gordon asked, removing his binoculars.

"No, sir," a female officer responded. "They're not responding to our calls or anything. Chances are they're already dealing with Joker's men." Gordon looked at her and nodded. The ninja were always quicker to respond to situations than the police.

"The chances are lower than you think," a deep voice spoke. Gordon spun around and saw Batman perched on the building ledge behind him. The captain and squadron drew their guns on the armored man, but Gordon raised a hand and stopped them. "With the number of Joker's men in there, I'd say the ninja have more than likely been captured as leverage along with the boy. And with the people you brought, there'll be nothing but causalities."

"We're going to!?" the female captain shouted.

"Captain," Gordon snapped. He watched the masked vigilante walk over them and slowly reach for his holstered gun. "I don't know what you're thinking, but I told you to stand down. What you're going to do against Joker will only aggravate him."

Lucas had to glance at the man eye level. What he was doing wasn't going to Lucas glanced at Gordon. What he was going wasn't going to aggravate Joker. The man had aggravated _him_ by taking Lloyd and possibly his friends. "Listen to me, Jim," he started. "This is my fight now. That deranged clown has taken someone close to me and I don't intend to lose him, especially after I already lost someone." The grey ninja reflected on what he said as the commissioner looked at him oddly. Lucas couldn't stop what he'd started. "You were a good man, there for me and my father. I won't let the past repeat itself tonight with the boy." He stood on the ledge, ready to jump.

Puzzled, Gordon had looked at Batman and thought about what he'd said. He'd already lost someone close to him and he didn't plan on losing the boy. That he had been there for him and his father. As Gordon thought about it, an answer dawned on him. The boy he'd tried to comfort nine years ago when his mother was killed: Lucas Wu. Batman dove and expanded his cape, gliding. "You were just a boy!" Gordon shouted at him. "What you're going to do is suicide!"

Lucas ignored him and pulled his arms closer, gliding faster as he broke through the window. He caught a henchman off guard and they both slid across the floor as Lucas knocked him unconscious.

"Good evening, Mr. Wu," a familiar voice rang in his ear. "Might I be of assistance?"

"Fox?" Lucas inquired.

"The one and only," the man replied. Lucas smiled and hid in the rafters as he heard someone approach. "Now, I should have mentioned that I installed a device in your cowl, but I figured you would have found it already. It will enable you to locate people and things around you. Kind of like sonar, or echo location. Give it a try. Press your ear piece."

In haste, the water ninja pressed his ear piece and gasped as blue light flashed in his eyes. His shock washed away as he gazed around in amazement at the white silhouettes of people against a blue outline of the building he was in. He could see the floors both above and below him. This was advanced night vision. "Can you see everything clearly?" he wondered.

"Clear as day here in Ninjago City Tower," Fox replied. "Now it appears that you have six of Joker's men with you, and a handful of swat in the lobby awaiting orders." Lucas glanced down and saw the white silhouettes of the henchmen walking around and a small group of people in the lobby. Then he glanced upward. "It looks like your team is on the seventy-fifth floor, guarded. And on the hundred-tenth floor is your cousin and Joker, unguarded." Lucas studied the floors above him. "What's your plan, Mr. Wu?"

"I'm going to fight for my family," Lucas stated as he eyes his first target and flashed his vision back to normal.

A single armed man patrolled the area cautiously. He stopped in his tracks as something caught his eye. He walked over to a mysterious object and, realizing it was a body, called for backup. Something dropped down in front of him and grabbed his gun. The man felt his weapon connect with his head and a boot hit his chest as he flew back. His head swam with pain as he saw Batman before falling unconscious. Lucas turned to someone shouting and took cover as guns fired. Soon, all were aware of his presence.

Lucas' breathing shook and his heart raced as the henchmen fired at him. The brunet's brows furrowed as he glared at the gunmen, but he breathed. He didn't want to relive the events at the museum, so he hid in the darkness as two men neared him. Waiting, Lucas watched as they drew close and sprung out, throwing punches at them while dodging their blows. He continued to attack until he became aware of his surroundings; one man fired his weapon at Lucas and he rolled out of the way, charging towards him and disarming him before continuing back to the others.

As he fought, he heard something beep in his ear and activated his night vision. "Heads up, you've got bogies coming in," Fox warned. "Five men rappelling on your left and the swat from the lobby is in the elevator."

Glancing to his left, Lucas saw the five officers on the side of the building rappelling down to the floor and the squadron of officers in the elevator. The water ninja continued to fight the remaining masked clowns until he heard glass shatter. The officers swung in and started running toward him. It dawned on Lucas that Gordon had ordered the police to apprehend him. He glanced at the elevator and saw a junction box next to it. Quickly, Lucas threw a bat shuriken at it, disabling the power to the elevator. With the extra time, he braced himself against the officers in front of him.

The Ninja of Water dodged the gun fire as he advanced his way toward the officers and fought to disarm them. However, unbeknownst to Lucas, the officers were trained in hand to hand combat and managed to land a few blows, but Lucas held his ground as they did. As they fought, Batman figured his extra time was running short. The backup would my coming up the stairs at any time. He glanced at a steel beam near him and fished a cord from his belt, latching it around the beam and the officers' legs. Lucas neared the ledge until a beam of light shined down onto him.

"Batman, you'd been warned before!" a voice shouted from the helicopter. "Surrender now. That's an order." Lucas glanced at the men surrounding him and the helicopter, snorting. Nothing was going to stop him, not when Lloyd and his family were in danger. He looked at the officers, the cord still around their legs, and kicked the nearest officer off the ledge. It caused a chain reaction that pulled the others down, hanging outside the building by their legs. The helicopter no longer focused on Lucas. He'd bought even more time. He approached the center of the floor, which was going to be a new elevator shaft, and fired his grappling gun up, climbing his way to his family.

Darkness surrounded him advantageously as he scanned around the area that his friends and cousin were being held. It was an open area, each of them tied individually, blinded, with four guards watching over them, though their backs were turned. Easy targets. However, something occurred to Lucas as he watched his family: they were all there except for him. After rescuing them, they'd get suspicious. Before he struck, the water ninja blew across his gloved hand. Miniscule water droplets formed an image of himself imprisoned like the others. Lucas took a deep breath.

Time stretched on forever as the red haired girl sat on the hard floor. Her arms ached from being tied behind her back for so long. Her eyes hurt from being squeezed by the blindfold. Laurie sighed. She was terrified, but she was more concerned about her friends and brother. She wasn't sure if they were next to her or not. Were they scared too?

There was a loud commotion that involved grunts and screams. It startled the orange ninja. Soon, it grew silent again and she turned her head frantically despite knowing she could see nothing. Footsteps approached her and she grew stiff. Then the girl felt her bonds loosen and her blindfold was removed. Laurie squinted against the light and gasped quietly as she faced Batman. "Are you okay?" he asked as he proceeded to untie the others.

Laurie was stunned and just nodded slowly in response. Once everyone was freed, she noticed that Lloyd was missing from the group. Batman gazed at her sympathetically. "Joker has the boy on the hundred-tenth floor," he informed them. "You seven head back down to safety. I'll take care of Joker and get your friend back. This is between me and him." Lucas checked to ensure his armor was secure and that he had plenty of shurikens. He didn't wait to hear what the others had to say as he moved towards the elevator shaft.

They watched Batman blend into the darkness. The way Joker's men were able to capture them so easily meant that this was very dangerous. They had to help, but how? Laurie rushed over to Batman. "Wait!" she begged, "You could get killed trying to save my brother. I'll never forgive myself if you fail. Just. . . who are you?"

Lucas turned toward his cousin and stared at her. She was right, he could be killed if he failed to rescue Lloyd. He didn't know if Joker was armed or not. Maybe the others had the right to know who he was, just like Gordon. "It's not who I am on the surface, but who I am underneath that defines me," he said with his real voice.

Stunned, Laurie stared at Batman. The voice, the eyes. "Lucas?" she asked. The ninja watched as the grey ninja next to them dematerialized before looking at Batman. The Ninja of Water drew out his grappling gun and fired it again, climbing his way to Lloyd.

Lucas reached the floor he needed to climb to and gazed around. The wind howled through the bare room that was under construction as he walked. He stopped as he saw the tall man staring down at the city in front of him. There was a chair next to him, but Lucas froze as he realized it was empty. Lloyd was gone. Angered, Lucas rushed Joker and grabbed him by his suit jacket, pinning him to the wall. "Where is he!?" he demanded.

A hearty chuckle escaped Joker as he didn't struggle to escape. Lucas glared into his green eyes and slammed his forearm against Joker's neck. The man's smile remained, though he coughed. "Wouldn't you like to know," he said, pointing upward. The brunet directed looked up and gasped. Lloyd was tied to a crane hook over the city, an explosive vest attached to him. "Now then, I think we should talk things out, for the boy's sake."


	20. Confrontation

**Chapter 19: Confrontation**

Lucas' blood boiled with anger as he glared darkly at the man he had pinned to the wall. His teeth were clenched tightly as he pushed his arm harder against Joker's throat. A strangled chuckle escaped him, but he didn't struggle to escape Batman's iron grip. The water ninja realized what Joker was making him do and he eased his arm back, but still kept Joker pinned. His anger was focused on what the man had done to his cousin.

Lloyd, the green ninja, his youngest cousin, was tied to a crane hook that hung out over the city. A vest rigged with explosives around his chest, leverage for Joker. Lucas found himself in a stand-still between saving Lloyd and stopping Joker. He didn't know which odds were greater: losing the crime lord or Lloyd? What did Joker want?

"You've gone too far now!" he growled.

Joker chuckled to himself. The grey ninja furrowed his brows; he wasn't in the mood for a joke by him. He was tempted to inflict pain on the man to free his cousin, but he resisted the urge. Joker had to have something to say. "I prefer to see it as a the start of our meeting," Joker laughed. Snarling, Lucas slammed him harder against the wall. Joker winced from the pain on the back of his head. "You shouldn't be aggressive like that. It makes the brain go fuzzy and you can't think for a while."

"Release him, now!" Lucas shouted, slamming Joker against the wall again.

Joker rolled his head and cracked his neck. "Touchy, touchy," he noted, "but remember what happened last time you used those words? He fell and I escaped. Don't want that, do we?" He quickly reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a gun, aimed it at Lucas' head, but Lucas smacked his hand away. Joker then threw a punch at Lucas' face, freeing himself from his grip. He aimed the gun again as Lucas recovered. "Now, I think I can make you comply, no?"

Stunned, Lucas froze and glared at Joker. He shouldn't have let anger consume him. It distracted him and allowed Joker to surprise him; a lesson his father had taught him years ago. Now, not only was Lloyd's life at stake, but so was his. He'd endure the fate his mother had: at gun point.

"All this rage, all towards me, and for what?" Joker continued. "A boy's life? Or trying to stop me? I don't like it when people interfere with my job, let alone someone in a Day of the Departed costume. If you open your ears you might understand what I'm trying to tell you: we're not so different. You might even learn a bit about yourself."

"I don't care what you have to say," Lucas growled. "Just let the boy go. He's not part of it."

"And there go the demanding negotiations again." Joker's smile dropped. His arm was stiff as he kept the gun trained. "But I don't take orders from you. Ever since I came into the picture, you've been there, but you haven't understood that we're the same. People hate us and yet you fight for the greater good. And since you'd rather do that, I might as well finish you off so I can watch this city burn to the ground." He pulled the hammer of the gun back.

At that moment, Lucas quickly swiped the gun out of Joker's hand and kicked him hard in the chest. It sent him flying back as he broke through a panel of plywood. Lloyd cheered for him as he walked over to the green haired man, but when he reached the spot, Joker was gone. Lucas pressed his cowl and illuminated his eyes as he began to search for the man around him. He quickly turned as he heard something rush toward him, catching a glimpse in his field of vision as something struck his head.

Lucas' head screamed in pain and he winced as he shook the nausea away, painfully opening his eyes. The scanner glitched and displayed partial images with warning flashes before it shut off. The brunet heard Joker rush him again as he turned and felt the same object hit him in the abdomen, falling to his knees. "Poor Batsy." Joker's voice taunted him. "I have a lot of faith that you'll find me, yet I keep coming from everywhere. Where's the fun?" Lucas pulled himself up and drove the heel of his right hand through a wall of plywood, where the voice had been coming from. He grabbed nothing, his heart racing. "Oh, there it is."

There was a loud crack and Lucas screamed in pain as he pulled his arm back and held his elbow close to himself. His breathing was rough and shaky as he held back tears and glared into the darkness. This time he saw Joker rush toward him with a crowbar in hand. He braced himself with his other arm, but he failed to protect his side as the weapon struck him. Lucas staggered back and felt one final blow to his exposed chest as he fell on the building ledge.

Groaning, the water ninja tried to pull himself up and winced as he tried to move his arm. The chances of it being broken were high. He felt a foot stomp on his chest and he grunted as the crowbar pinned his neck to the ground. Joker chuckled and pushed the bar down farther. "I had high hopes for you," he teased. "Now this city has run out of time. Midnight draws near and I get to watch this vile city turn to chaos with a front row seat. The bombs were fake, used to impose fear on the people. Like how _I_ use to fear _them_. They will destroy themselves." He looked at his watch before turning to the city. "And here we go."

The wind howled as the two waited for the city to turn against itself. A few minutes passed and the green haired man turned toward a wall clock, wondering if his watch was off, but the time read the same. Joker was confused. What was going on? Something was supposed to happen.

"What were you trying to accomplish?" Lucas began. "You think you can make people fear you like you once did. Fear is what this city faces every day: Serpentine, the events of the Summer Solstice, the Great Devourer, and when the stone men roamed the streets. Those all struck more fear than anything else in this city. And who do they look up to in their time of need? The ninja. They drive the fear away and bring hope to this city and all of Ninjago. Criminals like you are nothing but a joke. This city won't fall to one man alone."

Joker only blinked and stares at the calm city. All the times he'd wanted revenge on the city because of his troubled past were merely child's play. The man in the wheelchair had said he was a joke, and. . . he must've been right. Angrily, he smacked Lucas across the face. "I guess if you want to prove yourself," he said, bitter, "you'll have to do it alone. But I want to see who you are before I kill you." He grabbed hold of Lucas' cowl and wretched it from his face. Lucas didn't even struggle as his identity was revealed.

Their eyes locked and Joker studied him. Brown, shaggy hair and hazel-grey eyes. Joker continued to study Lucas' face and raised a brow. "That hair. Those eyes," he pondered. "They look vaguely familiar, like I saw them a long time ago." Lucas looked confused. "I remember a dark, cold night. I was mugging people for money, to survive. I saw a couple leave a theater with a boy. He also had brown hair. Like his mother's." The grey ninja's eyes slowly widened. "I guessed they were rich and I held them at gunpoint, took their money, but the gun fired accidentally. The woman screamed and I fired at her to stop. The boy was still there when I left."

His heart was racing, lips quivering, as stray tears cascaded down his face. Lucas couldn't believe what he'd heard. A story of a couple, and a son, mugged and shot at. The same event that had happened to him nine years ago. Nightmarish images flashed in his eyes: the alley, the gunfire, and his mother screaming. He squeezed his eyes shut and imagined Joker in the baggy clothing, a hood hiding his face. He saw it all now.

His mother's killer.

The horrific images passed, but Lucas kept his eyes locked on Joker. Adrenaline coursed through his veins and his breath was labored through clenched teeth. Joker looked at him oddly. "You're a murderer," Lucas growled. "You'll pay for what you did, what you stole from me." Six angular fins sprouted from the vambrace of his armor and fired shurikens at Joker. In the surprise, Lucas kicked Joker over and let him fall. The man laughed and Lucas grabbed his grappling gun, fired it, and caught it around his ankle. He had him now.

The Ninja of Water grunted as he pulled the tethered man back up. The job was harder since he could only use his good arm. He finally brought Joker to eye level and tied the cord, keeping him suspended. Joker laughed. "Oh, Bats, did I knock you off your rocker?" Filled with rage, Lucas threw a powerful punch, but Joker laughed harder.

His eyes drifted away as he spotted Joker's gun on the floor. He picked it up. He'd never held a gun before because he'd mastered the sai's, but in his devastated state the weapon felt natural. With possibly the same gun that had taken his mother's life, he turned toward the hanging man and walked over. Lucas placed the barrel of the weapon to his head. "This will be revenge for my mother. I'll make sure you never hurt me or my family ever again," Lucas said, darkly. He pulled back the hammer.


	21. Two Face

**Chapter 20: Two Face**

His finger was wrapped around the trigger. His glare bore into Joker's eyes. His heart screamed for vengeance, to end it all. His mother's killer was ensnared and Lucas only had to pull the trigger. Joker had taken his mother and he wasn't going to let him take Lloyd too.

Joker snickered at Lucas' glare as the gun was pressed against his temples. The more he waited, the more he wondered why the gun hadn't been fired. "What's wrong, Bats?" Joker laughed. "Don't have the guts to end it all? I took your mother and your little sidekick." Lucas didn't reply as he smacked Joker across the face with the stock of the gun. The man only chuckled.

The barrel of the gun went back against his temple. Lucas could end it all now, but something inside him begged him to stop. Of course, it was yielding to his anger. Vengeance was overpowering him and he was. . . liking it. His eyes shifted to milky white and then pitch black as thunder rumbled over the entire city. Lucas understood the hatred and evil that had consumed his uncle: it was powerful.

"I don't care what you say," he said darkly. "I'm going to savor this and finally end the pain I've been suffering for years. This will end your reign of crime and your life."

"Oh, I've hit a nerve, haven't I?" Joker laughed. "Well, go on. End it. Show me your true colors. I've turned Ninjago's shining knight into a dark knight, all because I killed his poor mommy dearest."

Lucas' brows stitched themselves together and the thunder crashed loudly as the storm raged not only in the sky, but in his heart. His anger kept begging him to just squeeze the trigger. "Lucas, no!" a voice begged him. The water ninja stopped and turned to see Laurie, alone, racing toward him. There was fear in her blue eyes and her hair was drenched from rain. "Don't do it."

Lucas' breathing was deep and quick, his hand shook as he looked into his cousin's begging eyes. The pitch black hue slowly faded and revealed his hazel grey irises. He swallowed a lump in his throat, feeling the pain and tears. "I can't," he said to her quietly as he turned to Joker. "This man took someone from me and I'm going to end the pain. My father and I can finally be relieved knowing that my mother's death is avenged." He placed the gun back against Joker's head.

"But this isn't you!" Laurie said. She rushed over to Lucas and pushed his arm down, grabbing his face in her hands and forcing him to look into her eyes. The water ninja noticed she'd been crying. "The Lucas I know would never do something like that. You're acting like my father. Anger. Hatred. Evil. The Lucas I know is strong-willed and kind-hearted, not a murderer. If you kill him you'll be no different than he is. Don't let this consume you. He _wants_ you to this, for his games."

Her words dug deep and burned his heart. He tried to swallow the lump in his throat again, holding back tears as he turned to see Joker's smug grin. Lucas gazed at the gun in his hand and felt it shaking. Laurie was right. Part of Joker's game was to make him like him. "If I let him live he'll haunt me forever." Lucas choked on his tears. "He'll do it again and again. He'll hurt me, Lloyd, you, and everyone else I care about. I have to do this."

"He may have hurt you in the past," Laurie explained, "but this won't resolve anything. Your mother and father would be ashamed of you." The wind ninja gently took Lucas' hand and carefully pried the gun from his grip. "You already won. He'll get a trial, be convicted, and then the police will deal with him. You can't be the judge, jury, and executioner. You can't be so. . . two-faced." Laurie smiled at Lucas softly. "Now go get your cowl and save Lloyd. I'm sure he's ready to be untied and saved by a true hero." Lucas turned from Laurie's smile to the Joker's grin, back and forth. His heart raced as he played different scenarios through his mind, snatching the gun from Laurie and aiming it at Joker's head. "No!"

"Yes! Do it!" Joker laughed. "End all the pain pent up inside you. After all, I killed her. And I'll probably do the same to the boy."

"Don't listen to him!" Laurie begged. "He's taunting you! Trying to make you become like him. Batman doesn't kill, and neither do you."

"Don't listen to her," Joker said. "She doesn't understand the feelings we share. Strike me down. It's been your destiny to get revenge for your mother's death."

"It's not your destiny! Your true destiny is to be a ninja, a guardian to Lloyd. I know he killed your mother, but please don't be like my father. . ."

The words from each person struck him one after the other, leaving the gun shaking in his grip. If he killed Joker, the pain would vanish, but he was a ninja. He fought for the greater good. He could end this all, but his family would look down on him for such a cruel deed. Of course, if he didn't kill Joker, the man would continue to do anything he could to hurt him or his family. The more he thought about it all, the more he heard the echo of his mother's scream.

The gun fired.

Joker had his eyes closed, a blissful smile playing on his lips, but he opened his eyes after a long pause and saw that Lucas had purposefully missed, shooting the floor. Lucas sighed and unloaded the weapon, disassembling it to pieces and tossing them onto the floor. Joker's green eyes burned like fire, but Laurie smiled in relief. "I'm not like you," Lucas said to Joker. "I won't ever be." He grabbed his cowl from the floor and slipped it onto his face. "I know who I truly am: the Ninja of Water. You will face trial, with thousands watching, and see your true fate." Lucas turned to Laurie. "Let's get Lloyd and leave. Batman is finished here." He started his way to the crane.

A chuckle escaped the ensnared man, slowly growing to a cackle. The water and wind ninja stopped, slowly turning to see Joker laughing harder and harder. Lucas glared at him. "You think you've won just because you decided not to kill me?" Joker asked. "You're wrong. This is only the beginning. You have a long way to go."

Confused, Lucas turned to Laurie, but she looked just as puzzled as he did. The start of what? "What are you talking about?" Lucas said. He pulled Laurie behind him in case Joker pulled out a concealed weapon.

Another laugh came from the green haired man. "Back how it all started," he replied. "I was once afraid of this city, afraid of people, even my own shadow." Joker scowled. "Then one night, he came to me. He took away my fear and allowed me to create my own. I was reborn."

Lucas was even more confused, but he heard a sharp inhale behind him. Laurie's eyes were focused on the ground, fear evident in them. It was almost as if she knew who Joker was referring to. Was it Garmadon? Or someone else? "Who is he?" Lucas demanded.

Joker just laughed again. Suddenly, a dark purple flame engulfed him and he laughed harder. Both elemental masters jumped and Lucas conjured his water in an effort to extinguish the flames, but the fire repelled the water. "He will rise one day, boy!" Joker laughed. "He will be unstoppable! Not even the little one will be able to stop his reign of terror, evil, and fear." He reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a device. "And I will go out with a bang." Joker pressed the button.

Small explosions rocked Lucas and Laurie off balance as Joker rushed to the ledge. The man laughed as he fell, disintegrating into ashes. Laurie and Lucas were shocked, but they watched as the crane broke apart and the green ninja fell past them. "Lloyd!" they shouted. Lucas ran off the ledge and dove after him. Laurie watched them from the ledge, but then hurried and ran down the stairs.

The wind howled around Lucas as he went for his falling cousin. It was worse than the first time, the explosive vest around Lloyd. Lucas was determined to reach him as he held out his hand, Lloyd reaching for him. Time seemed to slow as the tips of their fingers barely touched.

The two rolled in the air once Lucas finally grabbed Lloyd. The grey ninja managed to stabilize them and grabbed his cape. The static energy ran through the fabric and air caught underneath it, allowing them to glide through the city. Lloyd kept his arms wrapped tightly around his cousin's neck, his eyes shut tightly. Lucas tried to ignore the pain in his broken arm as he spotted a building to land on.

His feet made contact with the tarred rooftop and he lost his balance. Lucas fell down, wrapping his arms around Lloyd as they rolled. They stopped when Lucas' back made contact with the building ledge and he slumped in pain and exhaustion. Lloyd kept his arms around his cousin while slowly opening his eyes. A black cape was over him again and he saw Lucas' tired smile. Lloyd smiled back and buried his face into Lucas' neck, happy to be alive and safe.

The brunet laid there for a few moments before slowly pulling himself to his knees. He kept his arms around Lloyd as they both knelt. "You okay?" he asked while inspecting the vest. He decided to leave it for the police rather than risking their lives by trying to disarm it himself.

Lloyd sniffed and nodded. "Ye-Yeah. . . I'm okay now," he replied. He watched Lucas study the vest and sigh. Lloyd wanted it off badly, but neither of them knew anything about bomb defusal. Something bothered Lloyd as he looked into Lucas' hazel grey eyes. "Were you really going to kill him?" he asked.

A look of sorrow crossed his face as he looked away from Lloyd and sighed. Like Laurie, the green ninja had seen everything. Though Lucas was relieved Joker was gone, especially since he hadn't done it with his own hands. It horrified him to think that he'd almost become the monster he'd been trying to stop, but he knew where his heart truly was. "Batman doesn't kill," he answered. "Neither do I. Joker may have hurt me in the past, but he's gone now and another important person in my life is safe."

A smile formed on Lloyd's face and he embraced his cousin softly. They were a family that protected each other and he was glad that Lucas was there when he needed him. "So what happens now?" he asked.

The grey ninja looked at Lloyd and sighed. He turned toward the building they'd fallen from, watching as it burned. What _does_ happen now? Batman was a vigilante created to stop Joker, and the police had been calling him a criminal for interfering. Gordon and his teammates knew his identity now. "Ninjago City doesn't need me anymore," he replied. "I'm an entity to them, striking terror to stop crime. Police will hunt me down, hunt Batman down. I've brought nothing but fear, pain, and danger to those around me. Ninjago may thank me, but there's no place for Batman. Batman will hide, but the water ninja will remain." He and Lloyd smiled. The two heard a helicopter loom overheard, a light shining down. "It's time for me to leave," Lucas said, taking out his grappling gun. "I'll meet you back home." He fired the gun and left.

Lloyd smiled as he watched Batman glide away. He didn't bother to move as officers carefully surrounded him, the bomb squad diffusing the vest. Once he was finally freed, he sighed in relief as his sister smothered him in a hug. His emerald green eyes traced through the darkness and found a figure perched on a building ledge in the distance, until it disappeared into the city.

Batman was gone, but Lloyd knew he'd see Lucas again soon.


	22. A Dark Knight

**Hey everyone, this is Packerfan95 saying this is the end of the story. Sorry to say, but stories have to end but new ones will come. Sorry to cut this A/N short but I don't want to keep you waiting on reading the final chapter. Enjoy and I'll see you all in my next story. :)**

* * *

 **Epilogue: A Dark Knight**

"He was unknown, a hero that Ninjago City needed at the time, but not a hero the city deserved," said Gordon during a press conference. "Thanks to him, Joker was stopped along with his operation. We even retrieved most of the stolen money, which will be returned to the banks. I may not have known Batman's identity, or treated him with respect, but I still thank him for his work and bravery."

The commissioner was soon swarmed with questions and camera flashes. He raised a hand to calm the crowd down, blinking to get rid of the light in his eyes. "Commissioner, you really have no leads on Batman's identity?" a reporter asked. "Is it possible he'll return?"

A sigh escaped Gordon. Even though he knew who Batman truly was, he wasn't sure if the water ninja would take up the mantle again. "I'm not sure if he'll be back or not," he replied. "He was something though: a hero that the city needed in its time of chaos. Not only a hero, but a silent guardian. A watchful protector. A dark knight."

* * *

"Indeed he was," Vicki Vale said after the conference was aired on the evening news. "I personally wish I had gotten a chance to meet him, but whoever you are, Batman, we thank you for your bravery. This is Vicki Vale signing off one last time on the six o'clock news. Gayle Gossip returns tomorrow from vacation. Have a good night."

The computer screen went blank on the bridge of the Bounty. A small smile crossed a teen's face as they honored Batman. He sighed as he stared down at his right arm, broken in a hard grey cast. A toll from his final fight. At least it didn't hurt anymore. Lucas was able to enjoy a long break as it healed. Crime fighting was tiring without a team.

"You should've told us it was you the entire time, ya know?" Jay said. "That way we wouldn't have been mad at you for fighting us."

The grey ninja flashed a smirk as he turned to the blue ninja next to him. Everyone had gathered around. "Where would the fun have been? I needed to win that fight to show you that Batman could fight." Jay glared at him lightly.

"Whatever," Kai said. "It wasn't like our usual fights, or even when we were under Garmadon's power. You didn't even hurt me on the rooftop."

"Mmm. . . I don't know about that," the water ninja laughed. "You looked like you were shocked when I knocked the wind out of you." Lucas chuckled as he watched Kai's ears burn red with embarrassment. "Bring it on. I can still take you on, even with my cast."

"That would not be wise, brother," Zane said, standing between both brunets. He gave Kai a hard stare. "Relax." Then he turned to Lucas. "And don't encourage him. We don't want you injured any more. I set your broken bone myself. Now relax, both of you."

Lucas laughed. "Relax, Frosty. I wasn't even going to let him get a chance to wail on me. If anything, I would've used my powers to cool him off." He wasn't fazed by the ice ninja's hard stare. Lloyd chuckled next to him and Lucas ruffled his blond hair. There was a bat shaped shuriken in his cousin's hands. "I thought I locked those away, Shrimp."

The boy smirked as he played with it, moving his hand away as Lucas tried to reach for it. "Ah ah, technically I found it lying around before you locked them away. So I'm keeping it as a memento from the hero that saved me twice as Batman, and other times before. I may make it into a necklace."

Lucas sighed and shook his head, smiling. There was no way he was going to get it back from Lloyd now. "So. . . I guess we owe you an apology, Lucas," Cole said. "We should've taken the chance to help Gordon stop the Joker in the first place. It would've prevented us from getting kidnapped by him. But, since we denied the offer for the safety of the team, danger got the best of us. So, speaking for everyone, we're sorry for going against you."

He smiled softly at Cole and shook his head. "You don't need to apologize," he said. "It was my fault. I went against your order and put all of you in danger. I'm the one that needs to apologize, not you."

Cole appreciated the apology, but he frowned as Lucas claimed it was his fault. Though, the water ninja did have a point. "Well, both parties agree and apologize then," he said, but then something occurred to him. "Are you. . . going to be okay? Laurie told us what happened when you were face to face with your mom's killer."

A frown crossed Lucas' face and he sighed. After the defeat of Joker, Laurie told everyone about Joker combusting into flames and turning to ash, but she's also explained how Lucas almost killed Joker out of anger. He wished she hadn't told them, but she'd only been worried about him. "I'll be fine," Lucas said, quietly. "My mom may be gone, but I found her killer and now he's gone for good. I can rest easy knowing that. The anniversary of her death won't be as painful as before, so thanks for checking on me." He felt the comfort and support from his family and a few tears cascaded down his face happily.

* * *

The night was cold and music played all around the city. A full moon was visible in the black sky. Soft wind brushed past the older man as he stared up at the sky. He sighed and pulled his thick coat tighter around him. Another chilly night in Ninjago City.

The commissioner heard something shuffle behind him and turned. The person he expected to meet finally came, but not in the armor he'd been expecting. He was donned in a grey gi with golden shoulder armor and was accompanied by others. Gordon gave them a warm smile as he walked across the rooftop to meet the grey ninja. He noticed Lucas' right arm was in a cast and sling. "How's the arm doing?"

A chuckle came from the teen as he removed his mask and smiled. "It's healing," Lucas replied. "As long as he and I don't fight like usual." He motioned to Kai.

Gordon kept his smile plastered. "Thanks for coming," he said. "It's time to talk about the aftermath of the previous events." He took a sip of his coffee. "So what happens now?"

Shrugging, Lucas glanced over his shoulder and saw his teammates looking puzzled, but the water ninja already knew what would happen next. "I go back to being a ninja," he said. "My job as Batman is over and now Ninjago City is at peace. Joker's defeat is still a mystery to me. From the information I obtained, it appeared as though he was working for someone. That would explain the heists and weapons. I guess his contractor didn't want any trail leading to him and decided to get rid of him."

Gordon nodded. "Any idea who he is?" he asked.

The Ninja of Water shook his head. Laurie seemed to know something, but he decided not to ask her because of how frightened she'd looked. "We don't' know who he is," Lucas said. "He could be someone we've had history with. Or someone new. Joker said he will rise one day and be unstoppable." He flashed the commissioner a smirk. "But we're ninja and elemental Spinjiztu master. We'll be ready for anything that stands in our way of protecting Ninjago and its people."

A smile formed on Gordon's face. He watched the ninja leave the rooftop, leaving Lucas alone. "Are we ever going to meet each other again?" he asked the grey ninja. "Whether you're him or not?"

Lucas' small smirk remained. "Trust me, Gordon," he said as he pulled his mask back over his face. "If you need us, or him, you know where to find us." He brushed his hand over his body and beads of water clung to him as he vanished from the rooftop.

Gordon chuckled. "So that's how they disappeared before."

* * *

Far across the city, a woman was perched on top of a building and spied on a group as they left a rooftop. She was adorned in dark clothing, for it helped to conceal her in the dark city, as she locked onto the individuals through a pair of binoculars. The wind softly played with her long brown hair. She smiled softly as she watched the ninja regroup and focused her sights on the orange ninja. "Found you," she said to herself as she removed the binoculars, revealing her bright green eyes. "I finally found you."


End file.
